You Found Me
by blueeyedlamb
Summary: Bella experiences a tragedy that leaves her permanently changed. Edward is jaded, harboring a secret. What will happen when these two meet? Canon-pairings eventually. Future lemons, underage drinking and language. AH, OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here is my new story. This will be a totally different story then my first one. Most of the gang is in high school.**

**Just to give fair warning…there is underage drinking, possible drug use, lemons later on, profanity, etc. If it was not listed here I will warn you before the chapters begin.**

**Nobody under 18 should be reading this…**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns the characters and the wonderful books. I own the craziness in my head. The cast owns me after that wonderful surprise in San Diego last week. Not only has my obsession with Rob increased…I am smitten with Mr. Kellan Lutz. **

**Enjoy…**

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road  
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go  
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why  
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

"Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" – Green Day

Ch. 1

"I can't wait for you to get here Bella. It seems like it has been forever since I last saw you," Alice said from the other end of the phone.

"Well it has been over a year since I saw you. You could have come down to see me for Spring Break you know. Then it would have only been three months," I replied.

"Blame Edward. Esme wouldn't let him go to Cabo with his buddies because of the latest speeding ticket. Issued by your dad no less. Some how he convinced Esme that since he didn't get to go on his getaway, neither could I," she huffed.

"Well I will be there this time next week. So we can get into some trouble on our own without your brother ruining it. I am going to miss Renee. I'm not really looking forward to living with Charlie. He thinks he can tell me what to do; but I've been so independent for so long that it's hard to take him seriously now."

"Oh Bella. He really isn't that bad. Just a lonely man that doesn't know how to cook."

"That's because he is crazy about you Ali."

"Well someone has to look out for him. You know I stop by at least once a week and make sure he has something more edible then those disgusting TV dinners that he likes to buy."

"Yeah, that will definitely be changing. What are you up to right now?" I asked snuffing out the cigarette I had been tugging on.

"I am actually at your house right now. Charlie is downstairs eating the parmesan chicken that Esme made for him," Alice replied distractedly.

"Downstairs? Where are you?"

"Your room."

"My room? Why are you in there?"

"Oh nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about. You will find out when you get here."

"Alice…" I warned.

"Oh shush. It is a homecoming present from the Cullen's. Just think of it that way."

"Fine," I sighed, "I have to get going. Some people from school are throwing a party for me. Bunch of bullshit, they aren't even friends of mine. Just an excuse to throw a party."

"Well enjoy it, even if they are a bunch of tools. Be safe and call me this weekend," Alice said excitedly.

I started laughing at her exuberance, "Okay pixie, I will be sure and do that. Stay out of my room!"

"Too late…and you know you can't keep me out of somewhere I want to be. Bye Bella!" she said, hanging up before I could respond.

In about a week I was uprooting my life in Phoenix for the rainy confines of the Northwest town of Forks, Washington. I am originally from there, having spent the first eight years of my life before my mother divorced Charlie and moved me to Arizona.

I had gone back every summer to spend time with Charlie and maintained some of the friendships I had formed there. Alice had pretty much been my best friend since we were in kindergarten. Her family had moved there right before she started school with me. She is the adopted daughter of Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme. Carlisle was the local hero of the Forks Community Hospital and they were richer then probably the whole town combined. Along with Alice, she has two adopted brothers as well, Edward and Emmett. Edward is the same age as Alice and I, but I haven't seen him for the better part of five years; he was always off to some camp whenever I came around. Emmett is a year older than us and always treated me like a sister. He will be off to Seattle for college, but I am arriving early enough to at least see him for a few weeks.

I pulled myself out of my reverie and continued to rifle through my closet. Most of my clothes had been packed up and sent off to Washington already, but I kept a few essentials behind. I finally decided on cut-off denim shorts that would probably be considered too short for Forks. I paired the shorts with a black leather vest, a white v-neck t-shirt and black boots that ran up to my knee.

I doubled checked my appearance in my mirror. I decided to keep my hair straight and down. I wore a subtle smokey eye with lots of mascara, paired with a nude lip gloss.

I looked fuckin' hot. Time to blow the Phoenix snobs out of the water one last time.

***

Renee was a unique woman. She definitely was a bit of a hippie; very creative. I would say we were more friends or sisters then mother and daughter. This type of relationship had both negative and positive aspects. The negative was that I pretty much had to grow up at a young age. With only Renee as the main provider, it was easy for her to get swept away with her free spirit. I am not blaming her, far from it. It is just that sometimes I wish I did not overanalyze _everything_. The positive is that I know I can talk to her about anything. Having that open line of communication has helped me in the long run - - I hate lying and I refuse to be nothing but honest with people.

She met and married Phil about two years ago. He is cool, I guess. He makes her happy, which in turn makes me happy. But sometimes I think he isn't sure what to make of having an almost adult step-daughter. He is mostly the reason why I decided to make the move permanent to Forks. He is a minor league baseball player and recently got signed to a team in Florida. I did not want to move all that way and I felt bad because Renee never really got her 'honeymoon' time with him. So as a gift, I am moving myself out of the equation and giving them the alone time that I know she would love to have, even if she never admits it.

As I came down the stairs, I noticed that Phil was staring intently at the television, probably watching a Diamondbacks game. How he will get away with moving and playing for a Florida team when he supports an Arizona team is beyond me. Renee had the dining room table loaded with fabrics and a sewing machine. Her hair was in disarray and a pencil was placed unsuccessfully behind her right ear.

"Mom? What are you doing?" I asked, fingering a navy blue swatch.

"I decided I am going to try my hand at quilts! I am working on one for you right now. It is harder then it looks, but practice makes perfect" Renee responded without looking up.

I rolled my eyes at her newest project and made my way over to my purse, "Well I am on my way out."

"Where are you going?" Phil inquired, pulling his eyes from the television for the first time since I came downstairs.

"I have that going away party that I told you about. Sarah and Tiffany are putting it on and they invited a bunch of people."

"Doesn't sound very safe. Can you please be home by midnight?" Phil asked.

"Midnight? Isn't that a little early?" I asked, getting irritated.

"No, it sounds reasonable. Please don't be late sweetie," Renee responded.

"Fine. See you guys in the morning," I said.

"Keep your phone on, just in case."

"Will do. Bye." And with that, I made my way over to my car. It's a 1995 Nissan Sentra. Nothing special, but it gets me to where I need to go. In fact, it is probably on its last leg.

***

This party pretty much sucked. By the time I pulled in, everyone was already smashed or high. I had countless guys hitting on me; most from the football team. A few I had hooked up with, but they were old news. I had decided after the third football player that I wouldn't touch the rest of the team with a ten foot pole. Too bad rumors started circulating after the fact and I because the slut who slept with the entire football team. Bullshit. Not the _entire _team, just three of them. I've definitely done worse.

For the fifth time in an hour I checked my watch. 11:30 p.m. I calculated how long it would take to get home, which would probably be about twenty-five minutes. That was good enough for me, time for my exit.

After I attempted a goodbye to some people that I actually cared about saying goodbye to, I hopped in my car and made my way down the deserted road. Because it was almost midnight on a Thursday night, there was nobody on the roads and it was pitch black.

I drove for about fifteen minutes before things started going wrong.

My radio started fazing in and out and the smell of smoke began to fill my lungs. I kept driving for another five minutes, noticing it was getting harder to get the accelerator to work. Not long after that, there was a loud shooting noise from the hood and a dark billowing smoke began to erupt. I quickly pulled over to the side of the road, jumping out of the car.

The hood continued to protrude terrifying amounts of smoke.

"Shit!" I muttered to myself. I quickly ducked back into the car to grab my purse. I made my way farther away from the car, just in case it blew up. I rummaged through my bag until I found my phone. I quickly dialed my home number and waited for it to go through. I waited a full minute before I realized that I had no signal.

_Crap._

I began walking around the deserted road, trying to pick up something. It went on like that for another forty minutes. The car was still smoking and I am sure it died its last death. I began walking in the direction of my house. I finally got half a mile away from my car before I got a signal on my phone. I quickly tried home again.

"Hello? Bella!" my mom's frantic voice rang out on the other side.

"Yeah mom, it's me" I replied.

"Do you have any idea what time it is!? Almost one in the morning. I thought I told you midnight." she said angrily.

"I know mom. I left on time. But the damn car broke down. I think its pretty much dead. I haven't been able to get any signal on my phone until now. Can you come pick me up?"

"Yeah, Phil and I will come get you. Where are you?"

I quickly rattled off where I was. She said they were on their way and we hung up. I made my way back to my car and sat a little ways away. Ten minutes passed and the darkness really started to freak me out. Finally, after too long, a car coming from the direction of my house was coming my way. I quickly got up and made my way to the shoulder of the road. When they were still about a mile down the road, I heard an awful screeching sound coming from the opposite direction.

I quickly whipped around and another set of headlights was coming my way. The new car was driving really fast, too fast. And it appeared to be swerving in and out of the wrong side of the road. I watched in horror as it passed me and I knew it was somebody from the party. My mom's car was really close now and appeared to not have noticed the on coming vehicle.

In slow motion, the drunk driver took another swerve into my parents' lane just as my mom's car was getting ready to pass. The drunk driver hit my mom's civic head on and both cars went hurdling into the other side of the road and into the ditch.

My ears started buzzing really loudly, making it hard to hear anything. All of the sudden I heard a blood curdling scream come from somewhere. Then realized it was me as I ran towards my mother who was crushed under the SUV that had hit her.

--

**A/N: Please review! I want to see what you all think of it. Next chapter should be posted on Saturday. That will be my posting schedule: Wednesday and Saturday until further notice. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the story alerts, reviews and adding me to your favorites. I really appreciate it! **

**This chapter is a whole lotta angst…so be prepared. But it is necessary to kind of see where Bella's head is.**

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns the character. Lucky lady.**

----

How long have I been in this storm?  
So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form  
Water's getting harder to tread  
With these waves crashing over my head

"Storm" – Lifehouse

----

Ch. 2

The house loomed across the street, like a beckon of all things gone wrong in my life. What used to be a sanctuary from the outside world now felt like a place for my own personal hell. I hadn't stepped foot in there since the accident, since they died.

My eyes closed from the intense pain that my heart felt at the mere thought of my mother no longer being here.

_Once I reached the two crumpled cars, I began yelling my mother's name. The SUV that had hit them was perched sideways atop Renee's car; which was completely crushed from the weight of the other vehicle._

_Rational came back to me for a moment when I realized I should be calling 911. I reached into my pocket for my phone. I held it up in front of me._

_No signal._

"_Piece of shit!" My panic began to rise again with the thought that I may not get them help in time._

_I huffed out a sharp breath when I felt the sting in my knees from where I landed._

_I frantically looked between my mother's car and the phone. I walked a little to the left from where I had been standing and finally got one bar of reception._

_I quickly dialed the three numbers and placed the phone to my ear. _

"_911, what is your emergency?" said a female voice from the other end._

_I let out a squeak as fresh tears began to roll down my face. "Umm…my m-mom and step-dad were just hit by a drunk driver. It's really bad, please send someone! She could die-"_

_I was cut-off. "Slow down and breathe sweetie. We have dispatched an ambulance to where you are. Did you see it happen?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Okay. So I want you to stay right where you are. We will be there in two minutes," she said in a calm voice. _

"_She can't die. Nobody's moved in either vehicle."_

"_Just take a few deep breaths again. We need you calm."_

_I did as she asked and stayed on the line until I heard the sirens coming up the road._

_It took over an hour for the firefighters to maneuver the SUV off the top of my mom's car. _

_They cut off the roof of Renee's car and began to extract them._

_Up until that point, I was being held back from the scene by a female officer. _

_When I caught my first glimpse of my mom, that ability of taking in oxygen totally left me. Her body was mangled; pointing in angles that were just not normal. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. The blood was the worst. _

"_Mom!" I yelled, my knees completely buckling beneath me. One of the male officers caught me in time. _

_The E.M.T.'s took her to an awaiting ambulance. They disappeared behind the doors._

_I tried to run for the ambulance, but I was held back._

_A minute later, one of the E.M.T.'s made his way over and exchanged a silent look with the officer still holding on to me. _

_He then turned his eyes to me, a look of dismay taking over his features._

"_Are you Ms. Swan?" he asked._

_I simply nodded._

"_I'm sorry to inform you miss, your mom didn't make it."_

"_What?" I gasped. _

"_She died on impact. Probably instantly; most likely not feeling any pain. I'm terribly sorry," he said, reaching out a hand to lightly grasp my shoulder._

"_She's gone?" I said quietly. "No! She can't be."_

_Before anyone could answer me, my hearing and vision became fuzzy. The last image I registered was Phil, looking even worse then Renee had. Then everything went black. _

The sound of the car door closing behind me brought me back to the present. I looked over my shoulder at Charlie. He looked at me before looking over my head at the house.

"It will be okay Bells. Your not alone," he spoke softly.

I felt his hand on my shoulder when I turned to look at my house again. I immediately jerked away from the contact.

"I will not be okay. It's my fault," I said quietly, my voice bearing no emotion.

I felt my feet step off of the sidewalk of their own accord as I followed Charlie across the street. When we made it to the edge of the yard, I found that my steps faltered.

This was the last place that I had seen her alive. The place where I should have said that I loved her and not given her attitude.

Charlie noticed my reluctance and came back to stand by my side. "You need to do this Bella. Obviously you can't stay down here and we need to get your belongings and mementos together before the house is put up for sale."

I ignored him and willed myself to take a step onto the browning grass. We made it up to the small porch and into the house.

I stopped at the doorway yet again. It had been almost a month since I had been back here, having stayed with Renee and Phil's friends.

_Once I awoke from my fainting spell, the world seemed to take on a delirious and horrendous turn. _

_After I was told in detail how they both died, I had meetings with their lawyers, going over the wills. Apparently I got everything; even in Phil's case if my mom passed on. I suddenly came into more then enough money then a seventeen year old should know how to deal with, a house, car and other things. But I couldn't help but feel even more dreadful with the new knowledge. None of it was supposed to be mine…not unless it was the worst case scenario. _

_My date for arrival in Forks came and went and I was still in Phoenix. I had talked to Charlie several times; he agreed that I needed to stay longer to attend the funeral and tie up loose ends. He asked if I wanted him to come down; but I cut him off quickly, saying that I needed to do this alone and I didn't feel like burdening anyone else with my problems. He grumbled but agreed; that was usually the extent of our conversations. _

_Alice was another one that I had talked to. She begged me to allow her to come to the funeral. I flat out refused that one. _

_The funeral came about two weeks after the accident. It was a picture-perfect July day in Arizona. It was even under 100 degrees; which was simply unheard of in this state. I personally felt that it was mocking me. How come the weather couldn't just mirror my mood? _

_I awoke that morning to a knock on Carla's, Renee's friends, door. Guess who showed up? Charlie. I would never admit it to him, but I was incrediably happy in that moment. For the rest of the day I latched on to him as if my life depended on it. I had decided that morning when I woke up that I would allow myself to be weak today and on the day that I would have to face my house again. Other then that, I had to hide behind a barrier. _

_It was a double funeral; Phil and Renee were to be buried side-by-side. There were plenty of tears, not just from me. Beautiful flowers were put on the top of the caskets and the minister delivered a nice farewell sermon. _

_I gave the eulogy, only making it halfway through the speech before I dissolved into tears. Charlie held my hand through it all. He left the next day because work was calling him back. I knew he would be back eventually to help me with the house. _

_Once he was gone, I felt all alone again. I sunk deeper into my depression when I was behind the closed door of my temporary bedroom. When I was forced to be with company, I tried my best to be social and smile; even though I knew I was dying inside. _

_How else would you feel if you lost your best friend like that? _

I walked further into the foyer, looking at the hallway pictures of me as if it were the first time seeing them. I could remember how excited Renee had been to hang up each of my school pictures in the new house once her and Phil were married.

"_This is it Bell, a place to truly call my own. We don't have to ask for permission to put holes in the wall or what color to paint. It's finally ours," Renee said, turning to me with a frame that held my fifth grade school picture within. _

"_I know mom. It makes me happy to see you happy," I gave her a small smile before making my way up the stairs._

I slowly began to remove each picture, stacking them in a box that Charlie produced. We made it to the end of the hall before it opened up into the living room and dining room. The TV remote was still lodged in the cup holder on Phil's chair from when he had been watching the game and Renee's quilt work still laid strewn around on the table. I walked over to her sewing machine, running my fingers over the smooth texture of the second-hand machine. I looked to the right and noticed an image of the two of us from a vacation two years prior. My throat caught with a sob as I picked up what was going to be a full on quilt. She had gotten about a fourth of the way through of pictures and messages. I held it to my chest as the tears started to fall again.

That was when I felt the gentle, yet worn hand on my elbow. I turned towards Charlie who looked like he was having trouble holding back tears of his own.

"I can only imagine what you are going through. Your too young to have to experience this and to have seen it happen…just know that your mother was loved. Even from an old-timer like me," he said.

The only thing I could manage was a sigh.

--

I had just finished up packing my pictures, laptop and other personal things from school when there was a knock on the door.

I turned to see Charlie edge his way into the room. I noticed that his fist was clenched tightly around something.

"What's up Ch-dad," I said, catching myself on his name.

"I wanted to give this to you," he said, handing me a gold ring. "It was your mother's wedding ring from when we were married. I found it in an envelope that dropped from her jewelry box when I was boxing things up. Thought you'd like to have it."

"Thanks. I'm glad you were able to find it," I said, sliding it into the box with my other things.

"Are you about done in here?" he asked surveying my nearly empty bedroom.

"Yeah. Luckily most of my things are already up in Forks, since I should have been up there by now." I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped.

We did one more walk through making sure I got everything that meant something. Of course that was a lie; the house meant something, but obviously I couldn't carry that up to Forks with me.

We piled the boxes into Phil's, well now mine, Dodge Avenger. He had just purchased it in April, three months before it all ended.

Charlie followed me to drop off his rental car before taking me to dinner. I dropped him off about an hour before his evening flight back up to Washington. After some coaxing, he allowed me to make the drive up there by myself. I basically used the excuse that I needed to calm down and be alone. Part of that was true; I just didn't want to deal with awkward silence as we made our way up to the Pacific Northwest.

I still had a few more days left of my time in Phoenix before I had to make it up to my new home.

I sat in my temporary bedroom at Carla and Mike's house. They had been great throughout the whole thing; allowing me to wallow but still trying to include me in things.

After sitting through a few old photo albums I found, I was feeling pretty shitty. I got up and looked at myself in the full-length mirror that was hung up on the back of the closet door. I had thrown my hair up into a messy bun and I was currently sporting skinny jeans a white tank top.

I decided right then and there that I need a distraction. I grabbed my wallet, keys and cell phone and ran down the stairs, throwing on my Chucks. Nobody was home in the house so I didn't have any obstacles.

I drove around aimlessly and finally ended up at an old bar that I knew would let me in, despite my age.

I moseyed up to the bouncer, flashing him what I hoped to be a flirtatious smile. It must have worked because he allowed me entrance without asking for I.D.

The bar was definitely a whole in the wall and relatively empty of patrons. The bartender was cleaning out glasses while watching some baseball game on the television. I walked over to him and ordered a Southern Hospitality and a show of Jack.

He raised his eyebrows at my order. "Tough day?"

"You have no idea," I mumbled.

He got me my drinks and I quickly threw the shot to the back of my throat, enjoying the burn. It felt good to feel something for once besides the pain.

The barstool next to me moved and a thirty-something man sat beside me. He gave me an appreciative glance before ordering a beer.

"I'm Paul. What's your name sweetie?" he asked, tugging at the neck of the bottle.

I looked him over. He wasn't bad looking with dark brown hair and mostly boring brown eyes.

"Izzy," I responded.

"Interesting name. What is a pretty young thing like you doing here all by her lonesome on a Wednesday night in August?"

"Needed to get away from life in general. Alcohol should help."

"I hear ya. I've been there before too."

We sat in silence for awhile before he broke it again, "I can see that your hurting about something. I'm pretty good about reading people."

"You don't know anything," I barked out, a bit harsher then I meant it to sound.

"Calm down honey. No need to get all bent out of shape," he said holding up his arms in a defensive stance.

"Just stay out of it then."

"Fine. I'm just sayin…"

We were quiet again. I ordered another round and was feeling pretty good in my numbness to leave.

"Sorry if I pissed you off earlier," Paul said.

"It's fine. Sorry I snapped; things are just sensitive now."

"No apology necessary."

"Thanks for talking to me and putting up with my shit," I said, putting a tip in the bartenders jar.

"Would you want to get out of here?" he asked slyly.

I couldn't help the bubble of laughter. "No thanks. Nothing against you but I am not about to have a one night stand with someone too old for me."

He just shook his head as I made my exit.

On the drive back to the house I started to sober up. The self-hatred returned. With it came the numbness that I knew I needed to keep my shield in place.

I knew that from that point on, things needed to be different. No more weak Bella. Shit was going to change.

--

**A/N: Let me know what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So here is the next chapter. It is definitely a bit lighter then the last two were. We get a special visit from one of the hunky men that are about to enter Bella's life. Keep in mind that this is an Edward/Bella story…eventually. I want to have a little bit of fun before their journey begins. **

**I saw Bobby Long last night…got to say that he is amazing and has a beautiful voice. For those of you who don't know who he is…he co-wrote "Let Me Sign" on the Twilight Soundtrack with Marcus Foster. And he is friends with Rob. I got to meet him and he signed a few EP's for me…and he was just a super nice guy. The song for this chapter is honor of him!**

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns it all, even Edward. Sad…I know. **

--

You say time is a healer  
Faith is death  
Or left to die  
I won't put my strain on another  
Broken shame  
And so I'll lie

"Left to Lie" by Bobby Long

--

Ch. 3

I zipped past the Forks town sign. The sky above me breaking out into a rare sunny day – it wouldn't last.

Being back in this town was kind of bittersweet. I was happy to see some of my old friends again, but it was hard to pretend that this was still the original plan of me giving Renee some space. I _had _no choice now to be here…

_Stop it Bella. Suck it up._

It was Friday and I had spent the last three days making my way up the west coast. My only major stop was in Los Angeles because I had decided to change my appearance a little bit. So that led me to a high-end salon in Beverly Hills were I got my waist length hair chopped up to my shoulders with a few blunt layers thrown in. And I had bangs now, something I hadn't had since I was five.

Charlie kept calling me every few hours to make sure that I was making my way safely up the coast. The distance between Portland and Forks seemed to be the longest stretch for some reason.

I noticed that the car was almost on empty so I quickly pulled into the lone gas station before I passed it.

I pulled in opposite a motorcycle and quickly switched off the car. I looked at myself in the review mirror, hoping I didn't look like a deranged rat that just spent a week in the garbage. After fixing a few stray hairs and fixing my lopsided sunglasses, I hopped out of the car and pulled out my debit card.

I had just inserted the nozzle into my car when I heard the bell sound behind me from the little store. Out walked a sinfully delicious man, who happened to be striding towards the motorcycle that I pulled up alongside.

I took in the honey blonde curls that were just a little defiantly long. Even though the sun was making an appearance, the wind was whipping around. This caused his curls to fly in his face. I couldn't make out his eyes because they were currently hidden behind a pair of black aviators. My eyes continued to trail down his body. He was tall, definitely over six feet. He was lean and probably had a beautiful set of abs underneath the thin grey t-shirt and weathered black leather jacket. I continued down to his muscular thighs, which sat beautifully under a pair of worn button-fly jeans with the knees tattered down.

I trailed my eyes back up his body, noticing for the first time that he stopped just in front of my car. My head whipped up to meet his smirking one. I knew I had been caught. He began to slowly make his way around the car to me.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" His voice had a slight southern tinge to the deep baritone. The kind of voice that held that permanent huskiness to it; which caused me to go slightly weak in the knees.

_Pull it together Swan._

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

He raised one eyebrow up, looking me over this time.

"I haven't seen you around these parts before. And I would know if I have seen you before, I know about all the pretty ones."

"Oh really now? Well I am sort of new. I don't believe I have seen you around either."

"Well allow me to introduce myself. I am Jasper Hale. And you would be?" he asked, holding out his hand for me to shake.

I grasped it. "Bella Swan."

"Swan? You…uh…wouldn't be the Chiefs mysterious daughter would you?" he asked a bit uneasily.

"Well I don't know about mysterious. But yeah, that's me."

"Hmm. Interesting. Didn't expect you to look like that."

I couldn't help the bubble of laughter. "And what were you expecting?"

"Some mousy looking girl that wore no make-up, had braces and frizzy hair."

"Sounds like you thought about that one," I mumbled.

"Well Forks doesn't get fresh meat very often. It's nice not to be the new kid anymore," he said.

"You're new? How long have you been here?"

"Just under two years. Uh, listen…Bella? I have to be on my way…but would you mind if I called you later?"

"Sure."

"Maybe we can meet up tomorrow?"

"I'm sure we can work something out." I programmed my number into his phone and before I knew it he threw one leg over the beast before it rumbled to life.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Bella." He raised his glasses to reveal a set of light blue-grey eyes. He gave me a quick wink and a panty dropping smile to go along with it. Before I could recover he was racing down the main drag of town, leaving me stunned in his shadow.

What the hell just happened?

***

The familiar street that housed my new home finally came into view. I took a right and drove to the end of a cul-de-sac. Looking straight on was the property of the fine Dr. Cullen and his families monstrosity of a house. It was pushed back into the trees and the only way to get to it was the winding driveway leading up to it. Just to the left, the next property was Charlie's. I pulled up to the drive-way, which was shaded heavily by large, mature trees. When I was growing up here, before Renee had the urge to flee, the house was very modest. A two-story, two bedrooms, one bath home. The kitchen was small and even outdated for its time. It had been well over a year since I had visited, but I could already tell that the place looked different. The first thing I noticed was the new addition to the back of the house, which easily doubled the square footage.

Instead of the usual yellow border and white paint (my mother chose the colors) the house was now painted a grey-green with plum borders. It looked like it had been done within the last six months. The drive-way was repaved, now a smooth blacktop instead of the cracked one I was used to.

Charlie was already standing out on the small porch with a wide smile on his face. He was sporting his usual off-duty uniform of a plaid shirt and old jeans. I noticed he was sporting brown moccasins. _Ahhh…comfort._

"Hey dad," I called out.

"You're finally here. How was the trip up?" he asked making his way down to meet me at the trunk.

"Long, but therapeutic."

He appraised me as soon as he got close enough to see me. "I see. What was more therapeutic? Did the new haircut help?"

I sighed. "I got it cut when I was going through L.A. I needed to update myself to go along with the new me."

"The new you? What's that mean?"

I didn't say anything until we made it into the house with most of my luggage.

"It just means that the past month has been really tough and I was bound to change from it."

He stopped for a moment and just looked at me. I wasn't sure what he was looking for but after a moment he gave me a half-hearted smirk before turning away to continue the journey up the stairs.

I looked around as we were walking through and noticed that we now had hardwood floors.

We made it up the stairs and instead of turning right immediately into my childhood bedroom he continued to walk down a newly opened hallway.

"Dad? What is all of this?" I asked curiously.

He led me into a new room at the back of the house. It was larger then the one I had in Phoenix. Instead of the twin bed I was expecting, Charlie had gotten me a queen size. The room was bear, but I was thankful that he was going to leave me to do the decorating. There was a set of French doors off to the very back of the house leading to a balcony. I peeked my head out and noticed that I could see the back of the Cullen's mansion easily. I came back into the room and noted the rather large walk-in closet and my very own bathroom.

I noticed that Charlie had never answered me. "Charlie? When did you do all of this?"

He cleared his throat and sat at the edge of my bed. "Well, erm. Once I found out that you would be moving in with me permanently I had an epiphany. It was long overdue that I needed to stop living with the hope that your mom was going to return to me. So I set to work to get this place up to date for a teenager to live in. I delved in to a bit of my retirement fund and used that for the add-on. I also got a slight raise that allowed me to update the kitchen, floors, outside painting and the drive-way. So that is about it…"

I looked at him stunned. I don't think Charlie had ever strung that many words into one mouthful before.

He gave me an awkward smile before standing up, making his way to the door.

I snapped out of it quickly to yell out, "Charlie!"

He whirled around and looked at me, probably startled by my outburst.

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms lightly around his neck, giving him a hug. "Thank you for doing all of this. I can't tell you how thankful I am to have my own bathroom."

This caused him to laugh before he pulled away and silently patted me on the shoulder. He closed the door softly behind me. I looked around again at my new room and couldn't help the genuine smile that broke out over my face for the first time in over a month.

Things were going to be okay.

--

I had just finished hanging up the last piece of clothing in my closest when I heard the front door crash closed below me. I walked to the closed door, trying to hear who it was. All I could make out were muffled voices.

I began to turn the knob when the door was pushed towards me suddenly. A blur crashed into me, causing us to fall into a heap on the floor.

"What the fuck!" I yelled.

All I heard was a tinkling giggle. "Oh Bella. Always did have that trucker mouth."

"Ali. Don't ever do that again!" I gritted my teeth as I tried to talk down the throbbing in my lower back.

"Sorry. You know how I get when I get excited."

"I know."

She finally hopped off me and gave me a hand up. I took in her appearance. She was still extremely short (which was saying something as I was only a little over 5'5"). Her usually chin length, brown hair was gone. Now in its place was a short cut with choppy layers and side bangs. When the light hit it right, red and blonde highlights stood out within the brown tresses.

"Loving the hair Ali. Very pixie of you." That earned me a playful punch in the arm.

"Your one to talk. Is that new?" she asked, pointing to my head.

"Yeah. I got it down in L.A. on the way up here. And you would be proud of me. I went shopping."

Before the sentence even fully left my hips Alice raced for my closet. She disappeared within and all I could hear was her muttering low under her breath.

"Everything to your liking?" I asked, sitting on my bed.

"Holy shit Bell. We are going to be taking a weekend trip down there and pronto. You picked up some fabulous pieces!"

She came walking out with an off-the-shoulder black tunic top with pleading in her eyes.

"Ali. You can borrow any of it that you want." That earned me a huge squeal right before she pummeled me on the bed again.

"Okay. So since this is our last weekend of freedom I think we should take Sunday to go into Port Angeles and pick up paint for your room. These white walls just aren't doing it. And I think a matching bed-set is in order as well. Sound good?" she asked.

"Yeah. Sounds real good."

"Emmett is here until Sunday night. His girlfriend is in town too. Do you mind if Rosalie comes along with us to shop for everything?"

I had heard of Rosalie. She and her family had moved to Forks about two years ago and she had been dating Emmett for just over a year. Supposedly they were always at each others throats until finally Rosalie told him to grow a pair and kiss her. Alice warned me that she could come off kind of icy but was a real treat once she relaxed around people she liked.

We talked a little bit more about the weekend plans before her mom called the house asking her to come up for dinner.

Just before she left she turned back to me on the porch. "Esme wants to see you as soon as you can make it up for a visit. Wait until you see the house, they did a bunch of additions because they bought the adjoining lot across the street."

I just nodded before giving her a hug goodbye.

I walked into the kitchen to see Charlie pulling out two pre-packaged TV dinners.

"Stop right there," I said in a low voice.

He froze in his spot and turned towards me. "Excuse me?"

"Now that I am living here…we are definitely not going to eat like bachelors. I don't need to get fat Charlie."

"But..." he mumbled.

"But nothing. Step away from the kitchen. I am going to put the new renovations to good use." He simply nodded before making a swift exit. I heard the flat screen turn on to a game in the other room.

I fished through what he had on stock…a stop at the grocery store was definitely in order within the next few days.

I pulled out the ingredients for salads and lemon chicken.

Forty-five minutes later we sat in silence while consuming the food.

"This is real good Bells. Thanks for cooking."

I nodded and went upstairs when he offered to do the dishes. I locked myself within my room and took a long, hot shower. After changing into boy shorts and a tank top, I walked over to the French doors and threw them open. The night was still relatively warm and I leaned again the railing, looking out over the wooded back yard. I looked to my right and noticed that some of the rooms in the Cullen house were now lit. One room on the second floor caught my attention. A figure was walking back and forth within the view of the window. Music, which seemed to be something alternative, was pouring out of the open door. I watched intently for a moment, trying to make out which Cullen it was. But they were too far away.

The sound of my phone brought me out of my spying. I reluctantly turned away from the neighboring house before softly shutting the doors behind me.

I threw myself onto my bed and reached for my phone on the bedside table.

The number was recognizable, but I had a feeling who it might be.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Miss Bella." Yep. Just as I thought. That southern drawl could only be one person.

"Hey Jasper," I whispered into the phone.

"How are you doin' darlin'?"

"Pretty good. Just got settled in for the evening. You?"

"Just got in myself. A couple buddies and I went on a quick ride on the 101 through Port Angeles. It was probably the last one before summer officially ends." He sighed and sounded a bit forlorn.

"So you have a riding group?" I inquired.

"Yeah. Just a couple of guys that either went to Forks High or are currently attending. We just added two other members that are from Seattle who drive down from time-to-time to join us."

"That's really cool. I have always wanted to learn to ride one."

"You seem like the type of girl that likes to live on the edge a little. Maybe I can take you out sometime," he said with a smile in his voice.

"I'd really like that Jasper."

We were silent for a moment before he interrupted it with the clearing of his voice. "So I was thinking about what we can do tomorrow. If you're still up for it?"

"Yeah. Definitely. I wouldn't mind getting out of the house for a bit. Especially if it's the last weekend for it."

"Cool. There is this hole-in-the-wall bar in town. I sometimes play with a couple of the guys on open mic night. Want to meet me there and we can shoot some pool or something? The owner knows me…so no need for a fake I.D."

"Sounds cool. So just come through the front?"

"Just tell the security guy that your with Jas…he will know who your looking for."

"Sounds good. I think I'm going to head to bed though. Three days on the road can take a bit out of ya."

"Alright. Well how about you meet me at the bar…say…around 1?"

"See ya then. Night…Jas." This time I was the one with the smile on my voice.

I heard a bark of laughter from the other end. "G'night Miss Bella."

I hooked my phone up to the bedside charger, turned off my light and settled into my new bed. I definitely couldn't wait to get this place decorated to my liking.

I fell asleep that night with a blonde haired bad boy on my mind.

--

**A/N: So it was Jasper. I just have to have a little bit of them together in here…but don't worry…Edward will get his time. I found the song fitting at the beginning because she decides to hide behind this shield because she has been deeply hurt by her mother's passing…and in a lot of ways she blames herself. You'll hear more about that in later chapters.**

**Go leave me some love! It makes me happy. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello Again. Sorry that I didn't get to post this on Saturday, but FFnet has been having epic fail for the past day or so. Just wanted to say quick thanks for putting me on alert, favorites and reviews. I really appreciate it and glad you seem to be enjoying so far. This chapter may look like a filler chapter but it has key things that are covered that are needed to push the plot along! Enjoy. See you all Wednesday (if FFnet behaves). **

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns it all. I own two CD's signed by Bobby Long, one poster signed by Kiowa Gordon and another by Nikki Reed. **

--

I must be glorious  
I must be a sight to see  
Oh maybe you could comfort me  
And I come to you strangled  
In things I'm told are flattering  
Maybe you could come and comfort me

"Amazing Again" by Matt Nathanson

--

Ch. 4

The first sound that registered in my half-asleep daze was the pitter-patter of the rain hitting the roof. I rolled over with a loud groan.

_Welcome home Bella! _The rain seemed to scream at me. I heard thunder from far off and prayed that it would go away by the time I left to meet Jasper.

I checked my phone; 10:13 a.m.

I rolled out of bed and dragged my feet into the bathroom. I made the mistake of looking at myself in the mirror. My hair was a total haystack; the hairspray that was still leftover in my hair from the day before caused the back part of my hair to stick straight up. Lovely.

I ducked into the shower quickly. After I hopped out I threw on a pair of yoga shorts and a t-shirt. I ran downstairs and smacked right into Charlie.

"Morning Bells." He continued with pouring some cereal into a bowl.

"Morning. What are you up to today?" I asked, pulling out a pan to make eggs.

"Going over to Billy's to watch the afternoon game then we are going to go out fishing at sundown. What about you?"

"I think I may hang around town. Get reacquainted with it."

We ate in silence for a few moments.

"So I wanted to talk to you about something," Charlie said.

"Okay."

"Now I know that you liked to do a lot of dating back in Phoenix…" he trailed off somewhat nervously.

"A little," I mumbled.

"I want you to watch yourself around here. We have a couple of hooligans that I don't really like the idea of you being around."

"Dad, I appreciate the warning…but I will be 18 in like three weeks. I can make my own decisions."

"I know you're not used to having this type of conversation. But please stay away from certain boys."

"Well like who? I should know their names if you want me to steer clear."

"The main ones are Edward Cullen and Jasper Hale. There are a few others, but those two are attached at the hip. Good thing Jasper is leaving tomorrow; should help the shenanigans die down a bit." Charlie seemed to have forgotten that I was sitting across from him.

"So Cullen is a troublemaker now, huh?" I asked conversationally. I was going to steer clear of Jasper as the topic of conversation. Charlie did _not_ need to know my plans for that afternoon.

"Has been ever since he got his license last year. Heck, he was doing small incidents by the time he hit high school. Thank goodness Alice is such a good kid or I would have a problem with you hanging around with the lot of them."

"Hmm," was the only thing I was able to mutter.

"Well I think I got my point across. Please heed the warning. I am off to Billy's." He stood up and took his bowl to the sink.

"How is Jacob doing?" I asked.

I noticed that his shoulders tensed up a bit before he relaxed. "He is doing fine. He is another good friend of Edward's. He is one of the ones that aren't as bad, but still not that great either."

I only nodded as he left the room.

I finished my breakfast in silence, thinking over what Charlie had said.

Edward as a troublemaker? Alice had never let on that her brother was that bad apart from the ticket she mentioned a month back. Charlie was probably over exaggerating. I was going to be friends with whomever I wanted. And that included Jasper.

I got up just as I heard the old beat-up Chevy that Charlie drove on his off days. I shoved the plate into the sink and ran up the stairs.

Not allowing myself time to think, I quickly dialed Alice's number.

The other end rang exactly three times before someone picked up.

"Hello Bella!" Alice's voice rang out.

"Hey. Wanna come over and help me pick out an outfit?" I asked quickly.

"Consider it done!" she squealed before hanging up.

I gave her exactly three minutes to show up. Alice was always prompt.

--

"This one is a definite no. I thought you went shopping in L.A.?" Alice said, peeking her head out of my closet.

"I did! You've probably found some of my old wardrobe. Stuff I sent up prior to…well you know," I choked out the last part.

She paused for a moment and gave me a sympathetic look.

_Last thing I need._

"So! Found anything that would look good?" I leaped up from my bed.

"Tell me again what this is for?" she asked looking at a pair of jeans.

"I told you…I am meeting up with a friend this afternoon. I just want to look hot."

"Oh. Like a date?"

I just gave her a pointed look.

"Whatever. So Edward's friends came over last night. And god Bella…" she exclaimed before trailing off.

"What?"

"One of his friends is seriously to die for. I have never seen someone so good looking."

"Who is it?" I inquired.

"Not saying. Not yet anyways." She gave me a pleading look to drop it because she knew that I would try and question her further. I just shrugged and repositioned myself on my bed.

"So who are you meeting up with? Anyone I know?" she asked.

I thought back to just a moment ago when she refused to tell me her secret. Well I had my own.

"I am not going to say. Not yet anyways." I used her statement against her.

She popped her head back out of the closest and glared at me. "Not nice Bell. My situation is totally different."

"Whatever. He is just a friend and was kind enough to want to show me around a bit today."

"Oh…so it's a he. Is he hot?" she jumped on the bed next to me.

"You can say that," I responded vaguely.

"Fine. Keep your mouth shut. See if I care." She huffed off to the closest to continue in her search. I knew her well enough that she was practically vibrating underneath the surface for the piece of gossip I was withholding from her.

"Alright. I think I have found it. Come tell me what you think." I walked over to the closet where she was holding out a pile of material for me.

She held up slate-grey skinny jeans, a black peasant top that cinched at the hem and she threw a pair of black ankle high boots to pair with it.

"This is cute Ali. Thanks."

"Don't mention it. My suggestion is to run the straightener through your hair and then run a curler through the ends to round it out. Keep the make-up light. Be careful with the rain…though I believe it will taper off and clouds will just remain." She began walking towards the door.

"Ali, wait!" I called after her.

"Yes?" she asked, twirling around.

"I really do appreciate you helping me out. This 'date' really isn't a big deal. If anything comes of it I will tell you about it."

"Thanks Bells. Have fun." I gave her a wink before turning towards my bathroom.

--

I had just finished putting my curling iron away when my phone began to go off. I ran into the bedroom and answered without looking at the I.D.

"Hello?"

"Hey Miss Bella. Just wanted to make sure your still up to meeting me?" Jasper's husky voice came over the line.

"Hey Jas. Of course! I was just finishing up getting ready."

"Good. Well the bar is called McCoy's. It's an Irish bar that is owned by a Mexican named Juan. Don't ask me how that came to be but it's a riot nonetheless." I laughed at the weird match-up and quickly agreed to meet him by one.

At a quarter to one I ran out of the house getting a little more excited at how my afternoon was going to be. I knew my dad would not be happy about whom I was meeting. Hell, he would probably burst a blood vessel if he knew that I would be going into a bar underage. Oh well…a chance I was willing to take.

I wasn't sure what was going on between Jasper and I, but all I knew is that he was a gorgeous man and I wanted to attack his face with kisses. Simple, right?

--

I had Matt Nathansan thumping from the cars speakers as I pulled into the small parking lot adjacent to McCoy's. Just as I was pulling into a spot I caught movement in my peripheral vision. I cocked my head slightly to the left and noticed an unfamiliar man zooming out of the parking lot on another motorcycle. It was hard to tell the color of his hair because he was already far enough away, but I could tell that he was probably about my age.

I came back into focus as I pulled in alongside Jasper's Harley. The parking lot was mostly deserted since it was early afternoon.

I shut off the engine and pulled back the visor to check my make-up in the mirror. Surprisingly the curl in my hair was staying in thus far and my eye make-up still seemed to be in place. I reapplied the lipgloss that had disappeared from the incessant lip biting that I was prone to doing when nervous.

I definitely needed to watch my mannerisms while inside the bar.

I gave my hair one more fluff and snapped the visor back in place.

The cars alarm beeped behind me as I made my way up to the entrance. An overweight man, who appeared to be in his late-forties, was sitting in a rusty fold out chair right at the front door. My footing stumbled a bit because I was used to pulling out the fake I.D. I had left it at home because Jasper said that it wouldn't be needed.

He looked up at the sound of my heels on the pavement. Immediately he jumped from his chair and began to look me up and down. Unease and disgust started to fill me as his perverted gaze continued to take stock at my appearance.

"Um…will you let me by?" I asked in a quiet voice. He had taken up blocking the entire entrance when he stood.

"Why is a cutie such as you doing here in the middle of the day?" he asked. I noticed that he continuously swallowed saliva. Yuck.

"I am meeting Jas."

Immediately his face went stoic and his spine straightened until he was at his full height.

"Well in that case, please go right in. He usually occupies the farthest corner of the bar when he's here. That is probably where you'll find him. Sorry about the delay." He quickly averted his eyes from me and sat back down in his seat.

_Hmm…I wonder why he reacted that way to Jasper's name._

I gave him a strange look before taking a deep breath and entering the smoky and almost dark building.

--

**A/N: Please let me know what you think…I want to make sure you are enjoying and I won't know unless you tell me! Hope you enjoyed. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is the next installment. I really liked how to one turned out, so I hope you do too. FFnet is still acting up…I wasn't able to reply to any reviews…so I am sorry about that! Thank you for replying to the last chapter!**

**WARNING: Underage drinking, profanity and some drug use (I wanted to make sure and warn you)**

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns. Damn.**

--

Maybe you want her, maybe you need her  
Maybe you've started to compare to someone not there  
Maybe you want it, maybe you need it  
Maybe it's all you're running from  
Perfection will not come

"All At Once" by The Fray

--

Ch. 5

My nostrils instantly flared as I took in the mixture of cigarette, cigar and other types of smoke. The smoke filtered through the air as if the room was packed with people.

In reality there were probably a grand total of fifteen people within the entire establishment. I squinted, trying to adjust my eyesight to the dim room. McCoy's was really just a large room, probably no more then 1000 square feet of space. To my immediate right was a cluster of booths and tables crammed in to provide some kind of seats. To my immediate left was what appeared to be a small dance floor with an old school jukebox and a little platform that was supposed to be the stage? I think.

I looked further into the room, past the hazy smoke and noticed two pool tables in the far right hand corner of the room. A large flat screen that was sporting the highlights of the baseball games that were played that day hung along the wall behind both pool tables. On the far left side was a long bar that took up more then half of that side of the room. Behind the counter, the different array of alcoholic bottles was on full display. On the other side of the bar housed about fifteen mismatched stools for patrons.

A female, who I assumed to be the bartender, was wiping down the counter. There was a figure in the very last seat, pushed up against the wall. I noticed his blonde mop of hair almost immediately. His worn leather jacket was thrown over the seat to his left. He was hunched over something on the bar and seemed to be oblivious to everyone around him.

I took a much needed deep breath and took a step further into the building towards Jasper. As I got closer I noticed that he was sporting a Kings of Leon concert t-shirt from their last European tour. I made a mental note to ask him about it.

I couldn't help checking out his ass that was currently fitted into a pair of black jeans. _Nice._

I tapped him lightly on the shoulder to get his attention. I noticed almost immediately that his posture went slightly rigid.

"I thought I told you already Edward, I don't-." He cut himself off when he turned and noticed it was me. I furrowed my eyebrows at him before just shrugging and replacing it with a smile.

"Miss Bella," he breathed his eyes slightly wide. "Sorry, wasn't expecting it to be you."

"But I'm on time. Did you forget that you invited me out?" I asked, raising one of my eyebrows.

"Oh, uh no. I just was expecting you would be a typical chick and run late. Glad you're here." He grasped one of my hands in his and then he brought it up to his lips for a brief kiss.

I gave him a smile in return before looking around at the place again. "You weren't lying when you said that this was a hole-in-the-wall."

He chuckled low in his throat before removing his jacket from the stool, gesturing for me to sit there. "Yeah, but it's a cool place. Juan is really laid back about us being in here as long as we don't cause trouble."

"I'm surprised that you invited me here, especially being the daughter of the Chief."

"Was that wrong of me to assume that you wouldn't go tattle?" It was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

I glared at him. "No _Hale_. I don't run to daddy if I can help it."

"I take it that you aren't used to having a daddy presence?" he asked, flagging down the bartender. He held a finger up to me to hold for a minute as she came over.

"Sarah, can I get a refill," he motioned to the pint sized glass that was currently sitting empty in front of him. "And can you get my friend here Bud Light?" He raised his eyebrow in question.

"Actually, can I get a rum and Coke, please." I rolled my eyes at his presumption of my preferred drink.

"I'm surprised. No girly drinks?" he asked.

"Fuck no. Usually if I drink it's for the strict purpose of getting drunk the fastest. Margaritas or Cosmo's won't do that."

We were silent for a few moments, both deep in thought.

"So what brings you to Forks?" he asked curiously.

I couldn't help the tension that immediately filled my body. His eyes flicked away from my face to my body for a brief second before returning them to my eyes, acting as if he didn't see.

I immediately tried to formulate some story that would not be totally lying, but would prevent me from having to say the truth out loud.

"Uh…it was mostly a favor in the beginning but things…uh…changed and now I am here because I have to." He just looked at me intently for a moment, looking for answers that I didn't know. After a second he gave a brief nod.

"Where are you originally from?" I asked, trying to take the attention off of me.

"My family is originally from Amarillo, TX but we moved to New York when I was twelve. We stayed there until two years ago. My dad got an offer out here and commutes into Port Angeles for it. My mom wanted a small town feel so that she could front the whole _Leave It to Beaver _image of us being one big happy family." His voice had taken on a steely tone towards the end. It was laced with enough warning to not overstep by asking him to elaborate.

"How old are you?" I suddenly asked.

He looked over to me with a half-smirk. "Eighteen…gonna be nineteen in December. I start my first year of college up in Seattle in a week. But I am leaving tomorrow night to head up there."

"I bet it feels awesome to be getting out of this small town. You don't seem like the type that willingly wants to be here."

"Yes and no. It's going to be fuckin' fantastic to be in a place that actually has descent things to do on the weeknight as well as the weekend. You will learn soon enough that you have to make your own fun around here. At least you have only, what, a year before college?" I nodded in response.

"That's good. But at the same time, I will miss all of my buddies. I mean, I will probably come home some weekends and be here during the holidays because my parents demand it. But it's a four hour ride, so it makes things a little difficult."

"Weren't you saying that you have a couple of riding buddies already up in Seattle though? At least you will have them to make up for some time."

He took a long gulp of his beer before sitting it back down on the bar. "Yeah, I do have a few friends up there already. But my main man, Edward, is going to be left down here. We're pretty much brothers. Plus I have my sister up in Seattle as well. I really am not looking forward to having to deal with her again. It has been a nice year without her."

"You have a sister? She's a year older then you?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah. She goes to UW and she will be starting her second year. She won't be as much of a bitch because her boyfriend will be starting there too…that is a blessing for me." I laughed along with him.

"When you say Edward…do you mean Edward Cullen?" I asked, trying to quell the sudden interest in my neighbor.

His eyes snapped back up to meet mine with a look of hesitance. _Hmmm…_

"Yeah. How do you know him?"

"I don't really know him. At least I haven't seen him in over five years. I am best friends with his sister Alice." I noticed that he stiffened once again like he did upon my arrival.

"Uh…you know Alice?" he asked.

"Yeah. We are neighbors. I grew up here until I was eight and then came back almost every summer after that."

"Hmm…cool. Say, do you wanna get outta here? I can give you a ride on my bike before it gets too late," he asked, looking at his watch.

I pulled out my cell phone and noticed that we had been sitting there for almost three hours. I looked around and noticed more people and converged on the only real bar in this small town. Time had slipped by us; Jasper was a great conversationalist and instantly put me at ease while I was around me.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Do you mind following me back to my house though so I can drop off my car and pick up a jacket?"

"Sure, let's go."

With that we paid our tab…well Jasper paid it, refusing to let me pull out my money. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the door. The same security guy was still sitting there and looked at us curiously as we walked by him.

"What's with him? He was acting weird when I told him I was meeting you earlier," I murmured to Jasper as we came upon my car.

"That is just Marcus. He is a bit of a twitchy fellow. Nothing to concern yourself with." With that he pulled opened my door and shut it after I made myself comfortable in my seat.

I quickly rolled down the window and poked my head out. "So, I guess just follow me." He nodded before making his way over to the motorcycle.

I pulled out of the spot and waited as he started it up and pulled out behind me. We made it through town in record time, it only taking five minutes to reach my house. I pulled into the still empty driveway, letting out a sigh of relief. I got out of my car just as Jasper was pulling in behind me. I noticed that he flicked his eyes over to the Cullen's house before whipping them back in my direction and giving me a smile.

"I will just be a minute." He nodded and pulled out his phone, his fingers starting to fiddle with the screen.

I ran into the darkening house and up the stairs. My leather jacket was hanging on the desk chair where I had left it there this morning. I grabbed it and hastily ran back down the stairs, luckily not tripping. I pulled the front door closed again and pulled my arms through the sleeves.

Jasper gave me that same smile as the one at the gas station the day before. "You'd make a hot biker chick."

"You never know…I have been itching to get one." I threw my leg over one side of the rumbling machinery, straddling it. I wrapped my arms around his torso.

"Not so fast. I may not wear one…but you are." I looked at him in confusion as he reached behind my left hip and opened a latch on the side. He pulled out a jet-black helmet and handed it to me. "We have to protect that pretty little head of yours."

I huffed and put it on, knowing that he was probably right. We pulled out of the driveway, away from the end of the cul-de-sac. But not before I noticed a silver sports car making its way down the hill. I twisted my head back to the front, wrapping my arms around Jaspers waist a bit tighter. He patted my hands reassuringly as he turned off of my street towards the highway.

If I hadn't been paying attention, I would have missed Jasper's slight nod to the sports car as it pulled up alongside us and instantly revved the engine and skidded into a left turn. We made our way right, driving away from the shadowed driver. For some reason, I had a feeling I knew who it was.

--

We drove for about a half an hour, going towards Port Angeles, before Jasper made a right hand turn down a deserted road. We drove for another two miles before we pulled over to the side of the road under the shade of large trees.

He cut the engine as I slipped the helmet off of my head.

"Where are we?" My curiosity was piqued.

"We are about ten minutes outside of Port Angeles. I found it one day with Edward; we were just aimlessly riding around, trying to kill time. Not many cars run down this road, so it's nice to pull over and just drink a bit or smoke. Private."

I dropped my arms from his waist as he offered me a hand to dismount the bike. I felt the rough calluses on his fingers; most likely from working on his bike and playing the guitar (which I had found out back at the bar).

I released his hand to allow him to follow me. I looked through the thick vegetations of trees and noticed that water was down at the bottom of a bank.

"What river is that?" I asked curiously.

He leaned against his bike and looked in the direction I was pointing. "It's a creek that leads to Lake Aldwell."

I made my way to lean on the bike next to him, careful not to put my full weight on it. Last thing I needed was for my clumsiness to make an appearance and ruin his pride and joy.

"Do you smoke?" Jasper asked suddenly, fishing a small plastic bag out of his jacket.

"Sometimes. Usually when I need to chill out a little bit."

"Want to share a joint?" he asked holding up the bag with pre-rolled joints of weed in it.

"Sure."

He pulled one out of the bag before returning the rest to his jacket pocket. He then walked over to the opposite side of the bike that we were sitting on and pulled open one of the side compartments. Somehow he had been able to stuff a blanket into the small confines. He looked at me as he made his way back over to me, which I simply just returned with a quirked eyebrow.

"Just in case for situations like these. I really don't feel like standing the whole damn time," he said while spreading out the blanket at the base of the bike. I hadn't noticed that he clamped the joint between his pouty lips.

"Have a seat." He motioned for me to take a place before joining me. He reached into the front pocket of his jeans where he extracted a lighter with the Jake Daniels emblem on it. The cap was quickly flipped back and a flame erupted from the end, burning the tip of the joint in Jasper's lips.

I held out my hand for the lighter, which he wordlessly handed over. The casing was polished chrome with the Jack Daniels wording and emblem etched into the casing. It was beautiful…and expensive.

"Cullen gave me that for my birthday last year," he said quietly. "My parents were off on one of their many vacations, leaving me alone. My sister was up at school. Edward came over and we pretty much sat around and got totally plastered, exchanging ideas about how we wanted to the future to go."

"They left you on your birthday?" I asked, sadness filling my voice.

"Don't feel sorry for me Bella, I hate when people do that," he said sharply taking a long drag of the joint.

I took a puff before answering, "I am not feeling sorry for you. It probably turned out better anyways from what you told me about them. I'm just sad that people are capable of not giving a shit about their child."

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Hale are the epitome of that."

We continued sharing the weed the rest of the time in silence. By the time we had finished it both of us were thoroughly relaxed.

I scooted a little farther down on the blanket so that I could comfortably lean back on my elbows without hitting my head on the bike. I noticed that Jasper was checking me out, which caused my neck and face to turn a subtle red. He most of noticed because he had that cocky smirk back on his face.

"Why do you get so shy when someone does that? You don't strike me as the type that usually gets that way," he asked softly, running his index finger down my cheek.

"Can't help it. I have blushed involuntarily since I was a kid." My breathing had begun to pick up slightly when we moved to cup my face, now halfway leaning over me.

"Well it's hot in that sexy librarian sort of way." He leaned in a little bit more, causing his warm breath to splash over my already overheated face. He smelled like cinnamon, whiskey and weed. Somehow the combination was very delectable.

I automatically began to close my eyes as I felt his hand pull my face closer to his. I felt a feather light touch on my bottom lip followed quickly by my top lip. I opened my eyes a little to see that they were in fact Jasper's lips.

Before I could react, he pushed his full lips against mine. They were firm and demanding, exactly how I pictured Jasper to be. I parted my lips slightly and he pulled my bottom lip between his own. I felt his tongue run along the very edge of my bottom lip before he sucked on it lightly. This caused me to moan a little.

Suddenly he pulled away, looking at me with such intensity. My breathing was slightly labored and I noted that his was too.

"Bella," he began.

"Jasper. What are we doing?" I asked softly.

"Let me ask you something," he began, pulling himself up onto his knees. "What did you feel during that kiss?"

I leaned back on my elbows again, taking in his question. It had been…nice. Better then some of the slobbery nastiness that I had experienced in the past. But it was no where near earth shattering. I didn't really understand because Jasper was immensely attractive and we got along famously.

I looked back up at him after my musings. "Do you want total honesty?"

He simply nodded.

"You're a great kisser Jas…one of the better ones that I have had. But…I didn't really feel anything. It was…" I trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"It was like kissing a friend with no romantic feelings, right?" he asked.

"Uh…yeah. I think your pretty sexy Jasper, but I guess that's only superficial. We have a lot in common, maybe being just platonic friends is best?" I asked.

He let out a large breath, almost in relief. "I am so glad that you see it that way. I feel the exact same way. You're a beauty sweetheart, but I wouldn't feel right getting in your pants."

I couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh, instantly breaking the tension. "Kind of cocky aren't you? Thinking you were going to get into my designer jeans?"

"Not cocky…just _very_ confident," he said, giving me a toothy smile. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him.

I sat up and held out my hand, "Friends?"

He took my hand. "Friends."

We sat there for a little bit longer, letting our highs come back down.

"I know that you are hiding something about why you're here Miss Bella."

I whipped my head back in his direction with shock. "What do you mean?"

"I can see the sadness in your eyes. I am really good at feeling people out and behind that façade is a lot of hurt."

I immediately felt a bit of panic rise in my stomach. My eyes began blinking furiously to hold back the tears. Jasper kept his gaze steady on my face, waiting for my next move. I turned my head back towards the creek and tried to reinforce the wall that I had erected for protection.

"I don't know what you're seeing, but I don't want to talk about it. Can you take me home now?" I asked in a flat tone.

"Sure."

We were quiet as we packed up the blanket. I reached into my pocket for my phone and noticed a text message from Alice. I clicked the button to read it.

_Hey sexy lady. Wanna come up to the house to see Esme when you get home? She's been asking about you. –A_

_Sure. I am on my way back home now. Call you when I get there. –B_

I shoved my phone back in the pocket and straddled the bike. We took off back to Forks with a slight tension in the air.

About forty-five minutes passed before we turned on to my street. Jasper slowed down a little when we came upon my house. I hopped off the bike and deposited the helmet back in its appropriate place.

Jasper was regarding me with cautious eyes, not sure how far he had crossed the line.

I gave him a half smirk and thanked him for the day.

"Miss Bella, the pleasure was all mine. And I apologize for pushing a subject you don't wish to speak about right now. Just know that you're not alone and there are people around to talk to."

I nodded and gave him a quick hug.

"ISABELLA MARIE SWAN! How dare you!" I heard a bellow from behind us.

Jaspers eyes went wide, probably mirroring my own. I turned towards the sound of the voice.

It was Charlie, his face redder then a tomato and a shotgun in his right hand.

_Oh shit. _

--

**A/N: Uh oh. A cliffie. Sorry…I couldn't resist. **

**Who was in the sports car? We will get to meet them next chapter! ;) **

**And did you really think that I would make her fall head over heels for Jasper? No way! This is not his story…he is just along for the ride. **

**Next up…Charlie's full reaction, will Bella get in huge trouble? And we meet the rest of the Cullen's. **

**Oh and if you are looking for updates (especially when FFnet is being a pain) come follow me on Twitter or visit my LJ (Coming Soon...and I am going to start posting story pictures there). Links in my profile.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter has a lot jammed into it…we finally get to meet the rest of the Cullen's, so put your seatbelt on and settle in for the ride!**

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns…I really hope you know that by now. **

--

Ch. 6

"What the hell Charlie?" I screamed right back at him.

"Hale, get going." Charlie pointed the damn gun towards where we had just come from.

I turned back to Jasper who was giving Charlie a hard look before he turned back to me and gave me a concerned look.

"Just go. I will text you when this is all over. Jesus, so dramatic," I whispered so only he could hear me.

I watched as Jasper rumbled the bike back to life and pushed it out of the driveway with his feet.

"If I catch you without a helmet again Hale, your butt is going to land itself in your favorite place!" Charlie yelled after him.

"Dad, stop it!" I huffed while making my way up the drive-way.

"What are you doing with that boy Bella?" he demanded.

"What are you doing with the stupid gun?!" I stormed passed him into the house.

"Quit answering with questions. What. Were. You. Doing. With. Him?" he punctured each word with a fist to the wall.

"He is a _friend_ dad. Not that I should have to tell you. I can be friends with whomever I want."

"I thought I told you to stay away from those kinds of boys…especially him!"

"He is not that bad dad, maybe not honor roll student but he is no dummy either."

"I don't want you around him."

"That's fine. He is leaving tomorrow anyways! We are just friends," I spat at him.

"I should punish you." He wrapped his arms, one over the other in his signature cop pose.

"What are you going to do? Ground me _Chief _Swan?" I said, sneering his title.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You can't just heed a little warning?" he asked quietly.

"Charlie…I am going to be 18 in a few weeks. Whether you ground me or not, I will see anyone that I want to. He is a good guy and unfortunately you have only seen a certain part of who he is. And you can't just come back into my life throwing Hell Mary's as if I am used to that. Let me run my own life…I have been fine so far."

We were both breathing really hard from the elevated fighting that had just gone on. I leaned back on the entryway wall waiting to see if he would say anything.

"I'm sorry if I wasn't always there for you," he said quietly, looking down at his feet.

"It's in the past. I turned out just fine. I am going over to Alice's, Esme wants to see me." I didn't wait for him to reply before I ran up the stars and slammed by bedroom door behind me.

I threw myself onto my bed, face down.

I knew that he was just trying to be a father and look after me, but really?? I am not going to change my behavior just because I was now living in my police chief father's house. I'm friends with whoever I feel like being friends with, and Jasper just seemed to get me.

I sighed before fishing my phone out of my pocket and opened up a new text box to send to Jasper.

_Everything is fine; he was just trying to throw his badge around. I will do whatever I want. Thanks for the day. –B_

I waited for the message to send before finding Alice's number and dialing it. I barely got the phone to my ear before I heard a loud round of giggling from the other end.

"Uh, Alice?" I asked with uncertainty.

"Duh! You're finally home so get your ass over here!" she hung up after that.

She really was a five foot tornado.

I kicked my boots off and shimmied out of my skinny jeans, which were caked with mud. There was no way that I was stepping foot in the Cullen home, that looked like it should belong in one of those designer home magazines, looking like a river rat.

The sun was just setting outside my room, so I knew that the temperature would drop pretty quickly. I rummaged through the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans, flared at the ankle. Alice would kill me, but my well-worn chucks were brought out from the depths of the closet (I had a feeling she stuck them there). I kept the same shirt on…because it looked pretty amazing. After sweeping up my hair into a high pony-tail, I pulled on a black hoodie and took the stairs two at a time.

I stopped dead when Charlie moved into the entryway.

"Isabella, I need to say one thing to you before you go over there."

I remained silent.

"I realize that we don't have the strongest relationship, but that still will not stop me from wanting to look out for you. You are my only child; please see where I am coming from for a minute. Also, I will be a little easier on your choice in friends, but don't expect me to be totally quiet…especially if you ever befriended Cullen."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh yes, because he is just desperate to be around his sister's friend."

"You're a young lady, new meat; he will most definitely be interested in being around you."

"Sure dad. But I get you. You just have to trust me; I know how to take care of myself. I have been through a lot."

"I know you have Bells. Just be careful." He started moving back towards the television.

"Warning taken, now I will see you later!" I quickly opened the door and shut it just as fast.

--

I should have just driven my car up the damned drive-way; it was a bitch to get up. I finally reached the top of the hill and grasped on to my hip, trying to catch my breath. I looked up at the huge house which was alight from within.

Despite the colossal size, I instantly felt at home on the property. Esme had a maternal instinct that reached everyone, no matter their age. And it showed in her decorating.

The house looked like a large, renovated Victorian. It was painted white with black trimming on the doors and shutters. A wrap-around porch had been built two summers prior, adding amazing seating all the way around to the back of the house. The Cullen's had a huge fascination with automobiles; therefore they had built a large garage right off of the drive-way that housed way too many cars for a five person family.

I pulled myself out of my musings before I made my way to the front door, admiring her flowers that lined the outside perimeter of the home. I stepped up onto the wrap around porch and rang the doorbell. The door flew open before I could extract my hand from the bell. There stood Alice with an excited grin on her face, instantly putting one on my own.

"I'm glad you were able to make it over! Come in." She linked my arm with hers before pulling me into the house. I had seen this part before, but it still left me in awe of the beauty. The entryway was a round room with a grand staircase that curved around the wall up to the upstairs. In the center of the room was a round table that housed a large vase of different types of flowers. There were two doorways to choose from. One lead to a formal sitting room and several other rooms towards the back of the house and the other lead through the formal dining room and into the kitchen, which also lead to the back of the house.

"Mom is dying to see you. C'mon, she is in the kitchen!" We made our way through one of the walkways, through the eight-person dining room and into the large chief's kitchen. My dream kitchen. Esme had done all the cabinetry in white wood, almost like a beach home and all the appliance were stainless steel. The only dark part of the kitchen was the granite countertops which were black with flecks of brown and white in it, essentially following the color scheme of the outside.

As we entered the room I immediately spotted a beautiful woman in her mid-forties bent over the oven. She quickly shut it upon hearing our footsteps. I stood awkwardly in the doorway while she turned to me.

Esme Cullen was the epitome of a beauty, truly. She was always dressed impeccably and her caramel colored hair sat in soft waves down her back.

"Oh Bella! You're finally here," she cried before running over and enveloping me in a warm hug.

I returned it eagerly, instantly missing that motherly touch. "It's so good to see you Esme."

She pulled back and rested both hands squarely on my shoulders. She looked me straight and the eyes and asked, "How are you doing sweetie?"

I couldn't help the slight sting of moisture that I felt behind my eyes. I began blinking rapidly, not breaking her eye contact. "I'm…okay."

"Oh sweetie…I'm so sor-" she began, but was quickly cut off by the clearing of a throat. We turned to look at Alice who was giving her mother a pointed stare.

"Um, anyways. Would you like to stay for dinner? It's Emmett's last night here and Rosalie is going to be joining us as well."

"I would love to. Let me just call Charlie real quick." I pulled out my phone but Esme reached out to stop me.

"Use the house phone dear," she said before turning back and adjusting the pans on the stove.

After a quick call to my father, Alice dragged me out of the kitchen and out into the darkening backyard. My jaw instantly dropped at what I saw.

They had always had a large pool, but it was a bit inconvenient to have an outdoor one in Washington. They decided to rectify that problem by enclosing it, thus making it an indoor pool.

"Isn't this _awesome_?We just had that put in last fall, but the coolest part is that the roof actually opens up so that we can allow for warmer weather in during the summer," Alice explained excitedly.

"This is pretty remarkable. We can have some fun here." My mind instantly went to all the parties that Alice could throw.

"I have been waiting for you to get here to throw anything big. We are going to have some amazing parties this year! C'mon, I want to take you outside."

We walked through a side door and out to a paved walkway that led down a slight incline lit with tiny lamps. At the bottom of the hill was a large built-in grill with bar seating. A fireplace was built adjacent to cozy seating, all underneath a canopy. Further down the backyard was a large fire pit with tons of chairs and loungers stacked around it.

This was a teenagers dream.

"Go ahead and look around, I will be right back," Alice said before running back up the path and disappearing into the house. I continued my way down and looked around the grill area. Carlisle had installed a flat screen over fireplace along with a full-on entertainment system. _Jesus._

"It's pretty impressive, huh?" came a deep voice from behind me. I gasped in shock and whirled around, almost catching my foot on the bottom of one of the stools. I grabbed onto the counter to stop myself from falling.

There stood a familiar, yet strange man. I instantly knew it to be Edward because of the bronze hair.

"Yeah, it's pretty extraordinary," I mumbled.

"Do you remember me?" he asked, lighting up a cigarette.

"Yes. Edward Cullen. I have heard your name thrown around a few times since I have gotten back," I responded.

"Oh really? And what did you hear?" he asked, moving slightly closer to me.

"That I should stay away from you."

A husky chuckle fell from his lips before he took a long drag and blowing it out into the cooling air. "Then I guess you should listen to them."

Before I could respond, I heard Alice coming down the back porch.

"Oh hey Edward. What are you doing out here?" she asked curiously.

"Keeping Bella here company," he answered while looking just passed my right shoulder.

"How _hospitable _of you. I supposed there is a first for everything."

"Mmhmm," was all he said.

"Esme said that dinner was ready, so let's get up there. Rosalie just arrived." She pulled me along but Edward stayed standing in his spot.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked over my shoulder.

"Soon enough."

Alice kept pushing me up the pathway while I mumbled an 'okay'. She just shrugged her shoulders at my curious look.

--

Emmett was bigger then I remembered him being. He stood at a gigantic 6'5" and all muscle. He would undoubtedly be frightening if it weren't for the teddy bear like quality that he exuded and the fact that he was always the big brother I had always wanted.

"Bells! Look at you girl. If I wasn't dating Rose…" he couldn't finish his sentence before letting out a loud yelp. Suddenly he was jumping up and down on one foot, complaining about his big toe now being broken.

"Geesh Rose, I was just joking!" he exclaimed.

I looked around him to see a striking blonde walking into the room. She rolled her eyes at Emmett before settling her eyes on me.

"Rosie, this is Bella. My little sis for all intent and purposes. Bells, this is my Rosie," Emmett said, his dimples breaking free with a wide green.

"Hi Rosalie. It's nice to finally meet you," I said with a small smile.

She didn't say anything for a long minute, no smile…nothing. The only parts of her moving were her blue eyes…which looked very familiar.

I began to squirm underneath her stare before her eyes shot up to meet mine. "Nice jeans."

And with that she continued on into the kitchen with Emmett following behind her, throwing me nervous looks over his shoulder. She hadn't said much, but I had a feeling that I had just been accepted my Rosalie in her own way.

After helping Esme bring the dishes of lasagna, ceaser salad and garlic bread to the table we all settle in. I had been greeted by Carlisle when I reentered the house from the backyard. He was now sitting at one head seat of the rectangular table while Esme took up the other head spot. I sat in the middle seat of one side with Alice to my left. The seat to my right was empty. Directly across from me was Rosalie and to her right was Emmett. The left side of her was empty as well.

Suddenly we heard talking coming through the now open front door before it closed. In walked Edward, wearing worn jeans a black t-shirt. Quickly following in behind him was none other then Jasper. He gave me a slight grin before greeting Carlisle and Esme.

"I'm so glad you can join us boys. Please take your seats," Esme motioned to the two empty seats across from each other. Edward hesitated near my seat before deciding to sit next to Rosalie. I couldn't exactly explain the slight disappointment that ran through me at his decision. Jasper nudged me slightly as he walked by and took up the empty seat beside me. I gave him a tight smile. I noticed that Alice's back stiffened as Jasper walked passed her and then she leaned forward slightly to look around me at him. I noticed immediately the dreamy look that showed up on her face.

_Oh great…the hot guy she was talking about was Jasper Hale. Perfect._

He noticed that she was leaning forward; he gave her a small smile before following with a wink. He saw my look of confusion before shrugging his shoulders as subtly as possible.

We mostly ate in silence before Esme began asking Emmett if he had everything packed, what classes the three college students would be taking and then finally to me where she wanted to know about how I was enjoying being back and what I was looking forward to about school.

Once that was over we broke up into tiny conversations. Jasper started talking intently to Alice and me about some of the nightlife he found up in Seattle. I noticed that he unconsciously threw his arm over the back of my chair so that he could lean in to talk to us both quietly. As Alice was asking something I happened to look up and noticed Edward staring intently at Jasper's arm wrapped around the back of my chair. He noticed my staring and simply raised his eyebrow before going back into conversation with Carlisle.

Dinner quickly ended after that and Alice and I offered to help Esme with the clean-up. After we finished our duties, I knew it was time for me to leave. Alice walked me outside where we found Emmett saying goodbye to Rosalie.

"My stupid brother is going to get himself killed on that thing," she mumbled into his neck.

"Mine is just as dumb. Especially living next door to Charlie," he responded.

"Jasper is your brother?" I interrupted.

They both looked up at us before Rosalie responded, "Yeah, I'm a year older then him."

"Did he already leave?" Alice asked.

"Yeah. Edward took off on his own bike after Jasper about ten minutes ago," Emmett responded.

I said a quick goodbye to them, promising to see Alice and Rosalie fairly early to go into Port Angeles. Emmett was sticking around until tomorrow night to go up to Seattle with Rosalie, so I knew I would get to see him at least once more.

I walked back home with a bronze haired boy running through my mind. The certain blonde one nowhere in sight like he had been.

--

**A/N: Okay! So there it is. Let me know what you thought! Next chapter…EPOV! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay...you are getting this more then two days early because I just couldn't wait. It is Edward's POV…and boy is he wordy. Don't forget while you read this that he is very intelligent and a horny teenage boy. I loved writing him and he had a lot to say. And just so there is no confuion, its kind of a recap up to the present with dinner from his pov. **

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns…all three Cullen brothers can own me any day.**

--

You're like the kiss of death  
Like the hand of fame  
I can tell your trouble  
But I still wanna taste

"So Hott" by Kid Rock

--

Ch. 7

The first time that I saw her picture, I got an instant hard-on.

Not to sound vulgar, but _fuck_…she was gorgeous.

It was the summer before my sophomore year of high school. Jasper and I got our parents to let us go to some dumb summer camp for basketball. When we weren't half-assing it on the court we were out behind the furthest cabin drinking cheap beer, which some pimpled-faced kid managed to smuggle into the camp, and smoking.

By the time I came back to Forks eight weeks later I found Alice pinning new pictures of Bella on her wall of pictures. I hadn't seen Bella since we'd hit puberty, and boy did it agree with her.

I found myself sneaking into my sister's room to drool over this 2-D version of Bella. I will never willingly admit this to anymore, especially Alice…but I rummaged through her double copies of photos and found one of just Bella. She was sitting on a piece of driftwood down at La Push, in this white and black polka dot bikini, giving the camera a toothy smile. Her hair was wet and sandy from the beach…but it only enhanced her features.

How the hell can someone have such an effect on me through only a picture? Fuck if I know.

So thus my obsession over my sister's best friend began. I would never outwardly show any interest when Bella came up in conversation…but internally, I was filing that shit to obsess over later in the privacy of my bedroom.

Once school started back up, I tried to push her to the back of my brain. She was forbidden…a taboo…my sister's best friend. And besides, I hadn't seen her in over three years.

Having a best friend that is a year older worked to my advantage. Jasper always knew where all the cool parties were (we made a point to always go away from Forks for those) and since he already had his driver's license, it was perfect.

After allowing Tanya Denali to be the first to go down on me in freshmen year, I made a vow to stay as far the hell away from high school girls as I could get. They were all recycled bimbo's in Forks' mating pool. The last fuckin' thing I need after a blowjob is some girl giggling between my legs…fuckin' mood killer.

Sophomore year went along without much incident. My parents forced me to attend therapy because apparently I was 'lashing out because of my past.' Bullshit. I managed to effortlessly get straight A's…I could seriously pass every damned test with my eyes closed. Also, another main motivation for keeping up the grades was to keep Carlisle and Esme off of my back. That equals more freedom. Despite my stellar grades, that was the year that Chief Swan knew Jas and me on first name basis. Mostly for smoking on the football field and several loud parties that were thrown at the Hale estate.

The only girl apart from Bella that had given me an instant hard-on was Rosalie. Even though she was technically a high school girl, she was a whole different caliber. Before I could make a move to make a claim on her, my 'brother' made of a scene in the school hallway by literally jumping her. They became inseparable after that, dashing any hope of hooking up with her. Oh well, I still had images of Bella to whack off to.

When summer was once again approaching, I caught wind that Bella was coming back yet again to spend the summer. I knew that was my opportunity to see this girl up close who had been the fixture of my fantasies for the past year. But after one intense session with my therapist, I was heavily doubting myself. Plus, there was the rule I had set for myself to not touch any high school girls…and she was one.

Jasper had given me my escape; we ended up following Kings of Leon on their European Tour that summer. Best summer of my life…we met plenty of European girls. One in particular, Heidi from Switzerland, kept me on my toes the entire time we were in that country. I was proud to say that I was able to forget all about Bella for at least a few weeks.

So when we returned to boring Forks later that summer, I honestly felt like a new person. Too bad the giddiness of it all quickly wore off. Alice had spent half of her summer in Arizona with Bella due to her mom getting re-married. So I knew what that meant right away…Alice had not only new pictures of Bella, but every other story was of what they had done in Phoenix.

Bella threw the best parties.

Bella has the best ass and Alice wished she was blessed with one just like it.

Bella had two college guys fighting over her at an ASU frat party.

Bella this…Bella that. It was almost like Alice _knew_ that I was internally groaning at anything having to do with this girl.

To top it all off…my nightmares returned. I had been plagued with them since I was adopted into the Cullen family years ago. My beginning was not pleasant and unfortunately for me, I remembered almost every detail of my previous life before finally getting out.

Carlisle noticed that I was getting quieter and quieter so he decided to double up on my therapy. Of course he knew about the occasional drug use and that my drinking had increased. They were two ways that helped me black out at night…anything to get away from the images of my past.

I had managed to swipe another picture from Alice's stash of Bella porn (I call it that because...well…for obvious reasons). I was already a sick bastard anyways, might as well make it worth going to hell for.

Junior year was much the same as sophomore year. The only difference was that I finally got my license along with an amazing Aston Martin. That was my pride and joy. Jasper had recently acquired a motorcycle and he mentioned that he wanted to start a riding group. Some of the guys at school and I managed to talk the parental's into allowing us to take the motorcycle test to get a special license. Once that was out of the way, I purchased my first hog.

A 1975 Harley Davidson FLH Custom with candy apple red paint chroming…better then the best lay that I have ever gotten. The bike literally purred at start-up and was a smoother ride then the Aston.

Right after I got my bike Jake, Embry, Marcus and Alec followed and get their own. I offered Emmett a spot in the group if he was interested, but the guy was too focused on Rosalie and football.

We made more frequent trips up to Seattle…Rosalie had started school and we managed to crash a few of her parties. Let's just say that we were not at the top of her list of favorites.

Spring Break was quickly approaching and the guys and I were planning to go down to Cabo for the week. That was all shot to hell when tight-ass Chief Swan pulled my bike over for 'going thirty miles over the speed limit.' That was the last straw for Esme, so she forbid me from going. Well I just had to be the bastard that I am and throw my weight around until Alice wasn't allowed to go to Phoenix to see Bella for her break. If I wasn't going to be seeing any hotties, neither was she.

Alice had almost ruined my CD collection in her rage.

"I can't believe you Edward! I haven't seen her in _months_ and you just have to ruin my fun time because you fucked up!" she screamed in my doorway.

"I'm doing you a favor. I don't need my sis to be exposed those college guys. You know they only have one thing on their minds," I sarcastically said while throwing an arm over her petite frame.

"God you're a jackass. Thanks for ruining everything!" she shook my arm off.

"Whatever Alice. Get over it already." I made my way over to my bed and flopped down on top of the covers. After a minute of no response from my sister, I peaked my head up to see if she was still standing there.

Oh, she was. With the creepiest smirk on her sprite face. Suddenly her eyes glazed over and she began to literally hop up and down on her feet with a slight squeal.

"What the hell Alice?" I asked, sitting up.

"She going to move here!" she squealed.

"Who?"

"Bella! About time…I have been having this feeling for ages." And with that she skipped down the hallway, completely forgetting our argument.

I flopped back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Bella was coming to Forks.

The forbidden fruit was going to be closer then ever.

Fuck.

I reached into my side table drawer and pulled out her crinkled picture from the summer before. Her chocolate, brown eyes were so expressive and they were alight with mischief. The thought of her and Alice teaming up when she moved her gave me the shivers.

I finished up the school year with the usual good grades despite the edginess that I had been feeling since school was ending. I had never felt this pull towards another human being before and I hadn't even had physical contact with her for over five years!

As her arrival date came closer, the edginess increased. It probably didn't help that Alice was even more wired then usual and spent more and more time over at the Swan's residence. The fact that she was going to live less then five hundred yards from me was not helping my issues.

I was a hard person to get close to. Partly the reason for that was because I didn't allow many people into my circle of trust. Apart from the guys, Jasper and my family…everybody else was kept at arms length. The rumors around school were always running amuck about me, from Jasper and me as a secret couple to me being a ladies man and breaking college girls' hearts. I wasn't exactly a ladies man. I knew that I was good looking and when I wanted some then I used that to my advantage. But I highly doubt I was a heartbreaker…I was doing those girls a favor anyways.

And besides…when I have bitches like Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory throwing themselves at me around every corner…I felt that my beliefs were justified. I really had no desire to get some kind of STD.

Alice went from vibrating with excitement to a subdued somber. I tried asking if she was alright but she would merely shrug me off. Even though it went against my usual behavior, I decided to pursue the sudden change in Alice…she was my sister afterall.

I quickly found Esme in the kitchen, her usual haunt.

"Hey Esme, what's going on with Alice?" I asked perching myself up on the counter.

"She is just upset about Bella," she mumbled as she continued to wash the dishes.

Immediately the panic level began to rise at the mention of Bella. "What? Is she okay?"

"She's okay. Just going through a rough time. Her mom just passed away the other day. She flat out refused to let Alice come down to help her; so that is probably partly the reason your sister is acting like she is."

"Her mom died?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah. I don't know the details…but I guess Bella has to move here no matter what now. Probably just not as soon as she had anticipated."

We talked for a few more minutes before I slinked back up the stairs to my room. I immediately went to my drawer and pulled out the hidden pictures that I looked at countless times.

A new feeling started bubbling up deep within me. It was very unfamiliar and unsettled me. I laid there, just staring at the ceiling, mulling over my mom's piece of news.

After awhile I felt my eyes begin to grow heavy and right before I fell completely into unconsciousness I recognized the feeling. I suddenly felt very protective of this mystery girl.

--

Jasper was late for our meet-up as usual. The fucker had said he was just going to stop at the gas station to refuel.

Jake was tapping his boot on the gravel while Embry and Alec decided to hold an impromptu wrestling match.

Finally I heard a rumble down the road before the familiar blonde head of my best friend came into sight.

"What the hell? Twenty minutes late?" I started at him as soon as he braked.

"Dude. You have no clue. I just saw some new meat at the gas station?" he responded.

"And?" I prompted.

"She is the Chiefs daughter." I noticed that his lips kept moving, but suddenly I was experiencing tunnel vision.

_She was here. Breathing the same air as me. _

I tried my damndest to keep my nonchalance attitude when inside I was battling with some crazy emotions.

_You're such a fuckin' chick it's not even funny._

"…and I am going to see her tomorrow."

What?

"I said she agreed to see me tomorrow man. She looks like she would be a nice fuck."

I didn't realize I had said it aloud when he answered my question.

"Are you talking about Bella?" Jake came striding over to us. The kid was a year younger then me but stood a good four inches taller.

"Yeah," Jasper responded.

"Don't talk about her like that man…she is like family to me." Jake sounded like he was scolding a kid.

"Family?" I asked.

"Yeah…Charlie is best friends with Billy."

We finally decided to get on the bikes and spent the rest of the afternoon riding to Sequim. We stopped briefly for some lunch and then made our way back. We all were relatively quiet throughout the trip, each of us dealing with the fact that it may be the last ride we would all be able to take together for awhile. It didn't help that Jasper and Marcus were going off to college.

Esme called and asked if any of the guys wanted to come over for dinner. They were never one to turn down Mrs. Cullen's world famous cooking.

We all pushed and shoved ourselves into the house, getting scolded by Esme to wipe our feet on the doormat. Yep, the bad boys of Forks are turned into little puppies with their tail between their legs.

Alice made a rare appearance, usually choosing to stay upstairs when all the guys were around. She was back to her old self again and even talking steadily with Jasper and Embry. If I didn't know any better…she was flirting! And they knew it! Just what I needed on top of everything else…

Most of the guys left around nine, leaving Jasper and I alone. The afternoon left me enough time to obsess over Jasper's intentions with Bella. He of course had no idea just how deep I was. Hell…I hadn't even realized how deep I was until Jasper said she finally arrived.

I walked into the basement game room to find Jasper and Alice sitting relatively close to one another in deep conversation. With the clearing of my throat they quickly jumped apart.

"Ed…hey man. I was beginning to wonder where you went off to," Jasper began nervously.

I just 'mhmm'd' as Alice quickly said a giggly goodbye and ran back upstairs.

"So Jasper. What do you think of my newest neighbor?" I wasn't going to cut around the corner, straight talk was going to be the main strategy.

"Uh. Well she is pretty hot. I don't know her well enough; maybe tomorrow I can make a move."

I had to keep my fist firmly planted into the seat cushions that I was sitting on in order not to punch him.

"There is something you don't know Jas."

"What?"

I let out a big sigh. "I'msortaintoher," I said really fast.

"Wah…wait! What the hell did you just say?" he said sitting at the edge of his seat.

"I said…I am sorta into her."

Before I could say anything else, he immediately began to laugh.

"Seriously man? Do you even know what she looks like?" he asked between chuckles.

"Shut up. Yes I know what she fucking looks like. So if you were any kind of friend you would stay the hell away." I was suddenly standing in anger.

"Okay, so you like her. But dude, what happened to the 'no fucking high school girls' rule?"

I sat back down, confused again on how I was feeling. "I know…I know. But…" I trailed off, running my palms up and down my face in frustration.

"But there is just something about her, right?" he finished.

"Yeah."

"Listen. I am not going to say that I'm not going to take a chance with her if I'm feeling it. But you can use this to your advantage."

I gave him a skeptical look.

"Obviously I will be spending the afternoon with her…getting to know her. So I can reiterate what I find out from her to you. And if nothing comes of this more then friendship between us, then there ya go."

I mulled over his words and only nodded a goodbye when I felt him pat me on the shoulder. After awhile I made my way back up to my room and threw my balcony doors open. I noticed lights on in the back room of the Swan house…but didn't really think much of it.

I couldn't help the pacing back and forth as Jasper's words began to run more smoothly through my mind.

_I can learn more about her without getting too close to her. I'm not breaking my rules. _

After twenty minutes more of pacing, I decided my game plan.

Depending on Jas' afternoon with her tomorrow would set this whole thing into motion.

I went to sleep that night with chocolate, brown eyes in my dreams.

--

Jasper called to say that she was going to meet him at McCoy's. I was kind of surprised since that was our place and that she was the Chief's daughter.

Without really realizing it, I made my way over to the bar around noon knowing that he would be there getting an early start on his alcohol consumption.

Just as I thought, he was sitting in his usual corner. Jasper had more to him then meets the eye; he was a smart businessman that seemed to go to waste a lot of the time

"Hey man, whatcha up to?" I asked taking the seat next to him.

"Reading e-mails. Remember that horse I invested in last year?" he asked.

I nodded in response.

"Well I guess the training is about complete and they are going to start racing him next year."

We talked for a little more before he mentioned that Bella would probably be there soon. I took that as my exit to leave.

Before walking towards the door though, I turned and called Jasper's name.

"Remember what I said about her. Don't push it if it isn't anymore then friends. Seriously," I mumbled.

"Whatever man. No promises."

"Don't fuck her up Jas. Or I will return the favor."

He kind of looked taken aback from my threat. I _never _threatened him.

"Alright…warning loud and clear sir!" he mock-saluted me.

I raced home without looking back at the place that usually felt like a haven.

--

Later that night, after getting back from Jake's house Esme informed me we were having dinner guests. I texted Jasper to tell him to come over for dinner and then quickly shoved my phone back in my jeans. I made my way through Carlisle's study to the back of the house. I noticed that Alice and another person were down at the grill area talking. All of the sudden Alice ran back up the path, leaving the stranger alone to look around. Just as I was about to head up to my room for a quick smoke she turned her head and I immediately knew who it was.

Bella.

Bella fucking Swan was at _my_ house.

I didn't seem to have any control over my feet as I quietly opened the back door and stepped out into the cooling night. Before I knew it I was standing not even five feet from her.

Before I could stop myself, I spoke. "It's pretty impressive, huh?"

I didn't realize that she didn't have any idea that she was no longer alone. A feminine gasp escaped her lips before she whirled around, almost falling over in the process.

"Yeah, it's pretty extraordinary," she finally said after an immeasurable moment of suspense.

Fuck. The sound of her voice went straight to my groin. I had to hear it again. "Do you remember me?" I asked, lighting up a cigarette.

"Yes. Edward Cullen. I have heard your name thrown around a few times since I have gotten back," she mumbled.

Unintentially I moved closer to her, intrigued by her responses. "Oh really? And what did you hear?"

"That I should stay away from you."

A chuckle escaped my throat the same time I exhaled the smoke. "Then I guess you should listen to them." _I am lying…even though it would be better if you stayed away. For more then one reason._

Suddenly we weren't alone anymore. My sister was back.

"Oh hey Edward. What are you doing out here?" Alice asked curiously.

"Keeping Bella here company," I answered automatically while looking just passed Bella. I could talk more coherently when I wasn't looking directly at her.

"How _hospitable _of you. I supposed there is a first for everything," Alice said sarcastically.

"Mhmm," was all I said.

"Esme said that dinner was ready, so let's get up there. Rosalie just arrived." She pulled Bella away from me, up towards the house.

"Aren't you coming?" Bella asked.

"Soon enough." _And if I have it my way…you will be too gorgeous._

God I am a pervert.

I watched as they made there way back up the hill. Her ass looked amazing in the jeans that looked painted on. I hadn't gotten a good look at the rest of her before because I was too busy staring at her face. Her neck had been elegant against her dark hair, ivory skin and pony-tail. I couldn't help imagining how it would feel to nuzzle the area.

I heard a motorcycle coming up the drive and quickly made my way around the house. Jasper was just shutting off the engine by the time I came into view.

"How did it go?" I asked without greeting him.

"Wouldn't you like to know…" he said cryptically.

I bunched my fists at my sides and lead the way into the house. Everybody was already seated and I was closely tempted to sit beside Bella. Jasper decided that for me though as he nudged me towards the other side next to Rosalie.

Throughout dinner I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She was shy in the right areas and assertive in others. She was different then the other girls around here; not fake and slutty…but smart and classically beautiful.

_What the hell Cullen? Since when do you throw around the words 'classically' and 'beautiful' in your everyday vocabulary?_

At one point Jasper threw his arm around her chair, most likely not even doing it on purpose. But even if that was the case, my eyes were glued to that arm like white on rice. I wanted that to be _my_ arm. Nobody, not even my right hand man, deserved to touch her.

I noticed that I had been caught staring at her when she suddenly made eye contact. I silently willed her to read my mind…to put me at ease that nothing had happened between them. She blushed under my stare and turned her attention back to Alice.

That blush…holy shit.

After dinner was done, Alice and Bella offered to help Esme with the dishes. Jasper and I ran back upstairs where I rounded on him.

"Well?" I prompted.

"Chill. We talked, she is smart…not some ditzy chick. I kissed her…" he trailed off, waiting for me to stomach it.

"You _what_?" I yelled.

"I kissed her. But you need to calm down so I can tell you the rest."

I took several deep breaths before he continued.

"No spark…nothing. She is a phenomenal kisser, but I don't hold anything more then platonic feelings for her. And even though I could have easily just fucked her, she is better then that. But just so you know...she is hiding someting. The despair coming off her at times was suffocating."

We sat in silence for a moment.

_Nothing was going to happen between them. She was in the clear. But what did I want to do about it?_

"Let's go for a short ride before calling it a night. You need to unwind a little," Jasper interrupted my musings.

I nodded and we made our way downstairs. I looked into the dining room as Bella turned her back to me to walk back into the kitchen. I got the best view of her ass and a dose of her scent.

Her fucking scent.

Jasper pulled me along and we said goodbye to a horny Emmett and Rosalie after she reprimanded us for not wearing helmets.

As I started my bike and followed Jasper off of our property…I couldn't get her scent off of my mind.

She smelled like a mix between strawberries and vanilla.

_What the hell was I going to do?_

--

**A/N: Phew…that was a long one. So what did you think? I want to jump him. Please review!**

Edward's bike: http://www(dot)hd4sale(dot)com/pages/Detailed/6440(dot)html – just replace the (dot) with the real thing.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: No specific song for this chapter…sorry. And I didn't really get to proof read it, so let me know of any major mistakes and I will fix it. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Stephenie has that honor. **

Ch. 8

_The smoke was billowing higher into the dark sky, suffocating me with the potent smell of ash. _

_I needed to get to the car. _

_My knees met the asphalt of the deserted road, pushing my palms flat to the surface to make my way to _them_._

_As I tried to make my way across the road, the car kept getting farther away. It seemed as though I was on a never end escalator that was moving in the opposite direction then I needed to go. _

"_Bella! I need you! Bella…help me," I heard my mother's screaming voice._

"_Mom! I'm trying. Please…just hold on," I cried. _

_I kept trying to get to her…the smoke getting heavier and darker as the minutes passed. _

_The fumes rolling off of the car were filling my airways, causing me to start choking uncontrollably. _

_And then I heard it as if it were right next to my ear, the caressing voice of my mother. "I'm sorry Bella…you're just t-to l-late." Her voice trailed off into a whisper._

_Before I could respond there was a large blast and a raging inferno threw me backwards. The heat was so excruciating against my skin._

"_No!" I screamed. "No! Mom!"_

My eyes shot open and I shot up in bed, trying to cover my ears from the loud shouting.

"Bella! Are you okay? Bella!" the frantic voice of my father finally breaking through the screaming. He had busted through my closed door and was hovering over me already dressed for the day.

I finally realized that the screaming was coming from me. The earsplitting noise abruptly stopped and in its place a round of harsh sobs broke through my throat, fat tears escaping my eyes.

I felt the bed shift as Charlie sat at the edge of the bed, trying to comfort me by patting me on the back. "God Bells, what did you dream about?"

I didn't answer right away, trying to will the pathetic emotions to subdue so I could rebuild the wall.

Several minutes passed, but the choking noise finally quieted down and I was able to look at Charlie through swollen eyes. He seemed to be at a loss of what to do.

How do you react when your daughter suddenly wakes up out of a dead sleep screaming and having an emotional breakdown?

"Sorry," I gasped out…my throat dry and raw.

"Don't be. But what had you reacting like that?"

"I-It was n-nothing…just a bad dream," I shooed off.

"Bullshit. Don't try to brush it off as nothing. Something really horrible must have gotten you to react like this," he said, motioning with his hand at me.

"It was nothing Charlie. It was just a bad dream that seemed real. An honest reaction…" I trailed off, wiping my nose on a Kleenex that he handed me.

"I will let it slide for now…but you would tell me if something was wrong, right?" he asked uncertainly.

I just nodded silently as he got up and walked towards the door.

"I'm going over to the rez for the day, are you going to be okay on your own?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah. I'm going into Port Angeles with Alice and Rosalie today to pick up stuff for my room. I'll be fine."

"Alrighty, I will see you later then." With that, he closed the door and left me with my thoughts.

What the hell was that?

I had barely dreamed since the accident and now a full month after everything happened I finally have one. It had felt so _real_.

I could honestly feel the whisper of my mother's voice against my ear or the heat of the explosion against my face. Obviously the dream wasn't what truly happened, I didn't get the luxury of talking to my mom before she was abruptly taken from me.

Shutting down that part of the brain, I climbed out of bed and threw open my curtains. It was yet another sunny day, causing my jaw to go slightly slack. It was just so weird. Hopefully the weather would hold long enough for us to enjoy our shopping day.

Turning away from the window, I walked over to my nightstand and checked the time on my phone. I had a little over two hours before Alice was supposed to pick me up.

I made my way to the bathroom, shedding my oversized shirt and boy-shorts. I went straight to the shower and switched on the heat to let it warm up the room. Taking stock of my reflection in the mirror, I noticed the dark circles under my eyes. I thought I had slept fine, but it was probably a restless sleep thanks to the dream.

Turning away, I climbed into the heated water which immediately relaxed my tense muscles. After spending over thirty minutes under the spray, I shut it off and climbed out, covering myself with a towel.

As I opened my bathroom door, I could hear Alice's ringtone going off.

"Hey Ali."

"Good, you're up! Will you be ready in time?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just got out of the shower."

"I'm glad that I don't have to come barging over there and jump on you. You have already made my job a lot easier. Do you have your outfit under control?"

"Yes, I think I can dress myself," I mumbled.

"We shall see…" We said our goodbyes before I hung up.

I spent twenty minutes going through my closet, trying to find something that will keep Alice at arm's distance. I finally decided on a black and white shirt with three-quarter sleeves, jean skirt that feel mid-thigh and black ballet flats. I let my hair dry into a natural wave before I threw it up into a high pony-tail. I kept that make-up light with a nude lipgloss.

Just as the shoes went on my feet, I heard the doorbell downstairs. I grabbed my bag and took the stairs two at a time. Alice stood just on the other side; she immediately began taking stock of my appearance before giving a satisfied nod and pulling the door closed behind me.

We made our way down the drive to a cute red mini-coop, the perfect car for little Alice.

"I didn't know you drove one of these," I said as I climbed into the passenger side.

"Yeah, I got it for Christmas. Don't ask me why, but I wasn't going to complain," she responded.

We drove for about ten minutes, Alice talking about what she had planned for the day. Finally we pulled into a street full of newer housing before finally turning into a gated driveway, another huge house sat behind it.

I could see that Rosalie already had been waiting outside looking like she was straight off the European runways. Alice came to abrupt stop right beside Rosalie. I opened my door and made to get in the back seat when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see that it was Rosalie with a look of amusement on her face.

"I'll take the back today Bella. You are the guest of honor today," she murmured, bending over to climb in the small backseat.

"Thanks Rosalie…that's really nice," I muttered, closing the door behind her.

We sped off, heading towards Port Angeles. Alice immediately jumped into a round of twenty questions.

"Have you thought of color schemes?"

"Uh…a little. I hate yellow and orange. So those are out. I wouldn't rule out something in a brown, black, blue or pink," I answered.

"I'm not sure about black Bella…that seems kind of dark," Alice responded.

"I like black, but I don't have to have it as a bedroom color."

"How about a mocha and teal or turquoise scheme," chimed Rosalie from behind me.

I kept silent for a moment, rolling around that color combination in my head before turning around in my seat to look at her.

"That is a really great idea. We can paint the walls a lighter blue; it will look good with the white molding that is already in there. Maybe put some kind of stenciling and get a brown up there as well," I began rambling.

This set Alice off. According to her…since I already had brown furniture that we wouldn't have to worry about the colors matching. She imagined pictures frame hanging on the walls full of family and friends, curtains draped all the way to the floor on the windows and French doors. She kept rambling the whole hour we were in the car.

Before we knew it we were pulling into the only store that really had any bedding accessories. We floated through before I heard an Alice-like squeal come from a row over. Rosalie and I made our way over to her, wanting to see what got her so excited.

She held up a big plastic casing with blue and brown color peaking out.

"This is the one Bell! I can feel it. And look, it comes with curtains! I even found a couple of throw pillows to go with the set," she said excitedly.

"Its perfect, exactly how I pictured it. Let's get it!" I said, grabbing the package out of her hands.

After we grabbed the additional accessories, I purchased them before we made our way across the street to a paint supply store.

As we walked in, there was a chime to alert the workers that a customer had entered. Suddenly a brown haired guy about my age appeared in front of us with a big green on his face.

"Hey Alice, Rosalie," he nodded, not taking his eyes off of me. I began to feel slightly uncomfortable under his unwavering gaze. I would say he was definitely a nerd with really bad acne. Poor kid.

"Hi Eric. We didn't know you worked here," Rosalie said as if she had a bad taste in her mouth.

"Who do we have here?" he said, stepping a little closer to me. I found myself leaning back slightly, noticing that he also smelled a little foul.

"Bella Swan. Bella, meet Eric Yorkie. Forks High resident IT genius," Alice said with a grimace.

"Bella…it is a pleasure to _finally _make your acquaintance," he said grabbing my hand without my permission and attempting to bring it to his mouth for a kiss. I tried pulling it from his grasp, but he held on.

"Uh thanks, can I have my hand back now?" I muttered.

He didn't appear to be letting go.

"You heard the lady Yorkie, drop the hand or regret it," came a deep velvet voice off to the side of the store.

Eric jumped back about five feet from us at the sight of four larger guys suddenly standing there. We turned to where he was gapping only to notice that Edward and Jasper were standing with tough expression on their faces, flanked by two other guys that I hadn't met before.

"Uh, s-sorry. Didn't mean to offend anyone," Eric squeaked, nervously looking between me and Edward.

"It's fine, just don't let us catch you doing it again," Jasper spoke this time.

Eric ran to the back of the store after that. The guys walked over with amused looks on their faces.

"Could you have come off any more threatening? The poor kid about pissed his pants," Rosalie barked out.

"Clearly Bella was severely grossed out. A slimeball like him shouldn't be touching her," Jasper said defensively.

Before Rosalie could retort, I spoke up. "Thanks for the rescue guys. What are you doing here?"

"Picking up some paint for my room," Edward said without looking at me. I couldn't help the eyebrow raise. The kid just had some manner problems.

"You're repainting your room again," said Alice.

"I am _thinking _about it. We just came up to get some ideas," he responded.

"Bella, this is Marcus and Alec. Guys, this is Bella Swan." Jasper motioned to the two other guys who had been silent.

"Nice to meet you," they both said at the same time. I just nodded in agreement.

"Alec is going to be at Forks with you," Jasper added.

"Yeah, if you need me to kick someone's ass, let me know," he said with a sheepish smile on his boyish face.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," I said eyeing Edward. This caused everyone to chuckle, even Mr. Stoic himself.

We hadn't even noticed that Alice disappeared before she suddenly was standing right in front of me with several cans of paint.

"Found the perfect colors. Let's get these and then book it out of here," she said. I nodded before taking the cans and getting rung out by an older looking woman.

The guys walked out with us, saying quick goodbyes before walking towards a batch of motorcycles in the opposite direction that we went.

After putting everything in the car, we went for Starbucks. I learned to stay away from a kid named Mike Newton, even though he was a nice guy. He probably just had a disease because he was like a revolving door of casual sex. Lauren Mallory was still a bitch, but deep down she was insecure and used the bitchiness as a shield. Jessica Stanley was a lesbian, but used a 'crush' on Mike Newton as a cover. The girls had me laughing the entire afternoon before we reluctantly had to call it a day to get back to Forks. Rosalie still had a four hour drive to Seattle to look forward to that evening.

We dropped Rose off at her house first where I was told to come up to the Cullen's to say a final goodbye to her. Alice helped me unload my supplies into my bedroom before we decided that we would decorate everything the following weekend.

Charlie came home about an hour later with an icebox full of fish, so guess what I cooked?

I made it over to the Cullen's about seven o'clock to say goodbye to Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper. Even though I had only known Jas and Rose for a few days, I felt very melancholy about their quick departure. Even though I had a reason for not returning to Forks quickly, I felt almost cheated of a good summer when all I had was a lousy one.

"Belly Bear! I can't believe I am already leaving when we just got you back," Emmett's loud voice came from the garage when I came into view. Before I could speak, he swooped me up into a bone crushing hug, causing me to release a few tears. I wasn't sure if it was from sadness or from the ability of breathing suddenly being cut from my lungs.

"I know Em. But I'm not going anywhere for awhile. I'll see you soon." I patted his back before he let me down.

"You have to promise to come up with Ed and Ali when there are parties or short weekend holidays. We would all love to house you guys. Promise you will?" he said. He looked so innocent for a college guy.

"I promise Em…I will come up to see you. The door also opens the other way! Come back before Thanksgiving," I said hugging him again.

We were surrounded by the rest of the Cullen's and the two Hale's. I said a quick goodbye to Rosalie, who surprisingly gave me a huge hug. Definitely unexpectedly, but very welcomed. Jasper kissed me lightly on the cheek before giving me a wink. I smiled back and stepped aside so that Alice could have her goodbyes.

We all shifted awkwardly as she threw herself at him, suddenly giving him feather light kisses on the cheeks and his nose.

"Be good Jazzy," she whispered, tears starting to leak from her eyes.

"I will darlin', no worries. I won't do anything I don't normally," he said lightly, giving her a tight hug.

After that crazy moment, the five of us that were remaining waved as Rosalie and Emmett circled down the driveway in his Jeep as Jasper followed behind on his motorcycle.

"This sucks," I muttered.

"Don't I know it," Edward answered.

I gave him a small smile which surprisingly he returned before going back into the house. I said goodnight to the rest of them before making my way back to my house. Charlie was knocked out in his chair, the television blaring on some fishing show. I shut it off and shook him until he finally woke up. We made our way upstairs, bidding each other a goodnight.

Even though it was still relatively early, I was exhausted after the long day. I picked out my outfit for the first day of school before making my way to my French doors. Quickly lighting up a cigarette, I leaned over the railing and took in the cool breeze. A light was on in the same room I had noticed at the Cullen house. This time there was no music that I heard. I stared for a long minute before stubbing out the remainder of the stick and heading to bed.

My thoughts went immediately to Edward, wondering how he was going to treat me once we were at school all day together. Secretly I hoped we had some of the same classes.

--

EPOV

I grasped the railing of my balcony as I watched her turn back to her bedroom, hair whipping slightly in the wind. I intentially hid in the shadows when she unexpectedly stepped out for a smoke break.

As I watched her close her doors and then pull the curtains, I couldn't help but feel emptiness at being cut off from seeing her.

The question was…what was I going to do with that feeling?

--

**A/N: Alright, there it is. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter is Bella's first week at Forks High…we will begin to jump time a little bit. I wanted to forewarn you now, I am probably going to have to pull away from the Saturday and Wednesday updates. I am starting at a new University a week from Monday, and my schedule is going to be picking up big time after a lazy summer of doing nothing. I am not abandoning the story, but I may only get one update out a week. Come follow me on Twitter, I will post updates on chapter progress and we all have fun on there! Look me up at blueeyedlamb. I'm also going to start a blog…LJ doesn't like me so I am going to find something else. Once I have it set up, I will be posting updates and story pictures on it. Link will be in profile soon. **

**Review! They make me really happy…and I need happy right now. RL isn't being nice. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. Things have been busy.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie owns…still hasn't changed. **

--

And you ask me what I want this year  
And I try to make this kind and clear  
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days  
Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings  
And designer love and empty things  
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

"Better Days" by Goo Goo Dolls

--

Ch. 9

"Bella?"

"Hm?"

"Bella!"

"What?"

"Wake the fuck up!"

Finally a voice broke through my foggy haze causing me to jerk up with a start. I had been in the middle of yet another nightmare, the second one in a row. I looked around groggily, wondering why someone had woken me up.

My eyes finally landed on a smiling Alice, looking as if she had been awake for hours. I furrowed my brows at her, confused as to why she was currently sitting in my room.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you ready for school!" she said, still smiling.

I looked over at my alarm clock…

"Jesus, 5:30 in the morning Alice? Isn't that a bit ridiculous?" I said as I felt my cheeks heat up from irritation.

"We have to leave by 7:30…that only leaves two hours! Now up! Get in the shower while I pick out your outfit." She jumped up and started walking over to my closet.

"Wait…wait." I ungracefully hopped off of my bed. "I already picked out my outfit."

I pointed towards a stack of material draped over my computer chair. She sprang over to where I was pointing before immediately shaking her head in disappointment.

"What's wrong with it oh-great-Alice?" I asked sarcastically.

"You are not pairing this shirt with those jeans." She held up a long-sleeved black shirt and a pair of my old jeans.

"C'mon. I want to feel comfortable on my first day."

"You need to look hot Bella! I wont let you step foot out of this house without my approval," she exclaimed.

"Whatever. Do what you want, I am taking a shower."

And with that I turned my back to her and walked into my bathroom. After I adjusted the shower to the right temperature, I stepped in and tried to unwind from another rough night.

Fifteen minutes later and I was sitting at the base of my bed wrapped in a towel and a pair of panties. My room, once tidy and barely lived in, now looked like a tornado had hit it. A tornado of flying clothes.

"No, this wont do…"

"Alice."

"Neither will this, it's too chilly outside…"

"Alice."

"This might work…"

"Alice!" I yelled.

"What Bella!? Can't you see I am busy trying to make you fashionable?" She finished with sticking her tongue out at me.

"Very mature Ali. Look what you did to my room," I said motioning with my hand around me.

"Yeah, yeah…I think I found it!" She bounced out of the closet and sat next to me.

She handed me a pair of distressed boot-cut jeans, a purple tank and a blue and white stripped sweater that had three-quarter length sleeves and a tie under the bust.

"This is…actually kind of cute," I muttered in a defeated tone.

"Don't ever doubt me BFF. You will never go wrong," she stated matter-of-factly.

I changed into the outfit, automatically feeling comfortable in the soft materials. Alice didn't let me take a breath before she shoved me back into my bathroom and into the seat at the built-in vanity. For the next hour she straightened my hair and curled the ends, added the right amount of eyeshadow that complimented the outfit and just the right amount of eyeliner and mascara.

"Ta da!" she motioned to my reflection.

"Nice work Ali. Are we done?" I stood up abruptly, tired of being a life-sized Barbie.

"Yeah, let's go. Just enough time for you to grab something to eat."

We grabbed our bags and made our way downstairs. Charlie had already left for the morning, leaving the house in a comfortable silence while Alice waited for me to shove a pop-tart down my throat.

I insisted on driving, which Alice was more then willing to let me. It took less then ten minutes to make it to the small high school, just off the freeway. I couldn't help but swallow nervously as I took in just how small the school was compared to my old one back in Phoenix. I would not be able to slide in and out of the buildings as easily with such a small student population and as if to prove my point, almost every head turned to stare as we flew into the parking spot and parking towards the front of the lot, closest to the buildings.

As I moved to get out of the car, I noticed that people literally stopped moving around. They weren't even bothering to pretend to not be looking. I was the new toy in the play-set.

_This should be interesting. _

"Come on Bells. Let's go get you checked in at the front office," Alice murmured while taking my elbow to maneuver me onto the sidewalk. We walked in silence as the sea of people parted a pathway to the office.

I noticed that guys immediately started checking me out and girls either gave polite smiles or blatantly glared at me.

We finally made it into the office where a short, stocky woman that looked to be in her late-forties sat primly behind the front desk.

"Hello dears, what can I do for you?" she chirped.

"I'm new here. My name is Isabella Swan," I answered.

"Ms. Swan…we are so glad to have to joining us for your senior year. Chief Swan was just here last week making sure that all of your classes were in order," she said rummaging through a pile of papers.

I was a bit taken aback by that bit of news. "Really? He never said he did that…hmm."

"Here you are sweetie. There is a map attached, though I am sure Ms. Cullen will help you find your way. If you have any questions, please come and ask."

I thanked her and walked back out into the courtyard with Alice trailing behind me. I was just feet from the parking lot when I noticed that the same silver sports car I had seen two days prior was now parked next to the Avenger. Almost immediately Edward emerged from the front seat with Alec trailing behind him from the passenger's side. Edward had barely stepped foot onto the sidewalk when a small group of giggling girls rounded on them. Edward looked a bit bored but talked to them anyways.

The group began to walk across the courtyard to the cluster of buildings that held the classes. As they passed, Edward looked up and made direct eye contact with me. I couldn't help the bit of jealousy that coursed through me as one of the girls twined her arm through his, still giggling. Something changed in his eyes when this happened and he frowned a bit before looking away.

"That is the 'Edward Cullen' fan club. They don't ever leave him alone," Alice whispered when we began to walk behind the fading group.

"Really? I figured he dated one of them…" I trailed off, trying to sound disinterested.

"They would just love that. But he barely touches them; he more or less humors them a few minutes a day so that they will stay away for the rest of it."

I was still contemplating her answer when she showed me where my first class was, which happened to be Calculus.

"See you third period…have a good morning," Alice sang already halfway down the hall.

I turned towards the door with dread – Calculus was torture for me.

My senses were immediately hit with noisy classmates. The teacher hadn't arrived yet. I stood awkwardly in the doorway, trying to decide where to sit.

"Bella Swan! Get your cute ass over here!" yelled a voice from the other side of the room.

I immediately turned towards the noise, noticing a head full of jet-black hair. I made my way over towards that side and recognized Jacob.

"Well…well…well!" I said with a laugh. "You sure got taller!"

"Tell me about it. I must've grown a foot in one summer," he said with a smile.

He stood up and engulfed me in an Emmett-worthy hug, leather immediately assaulting my nose.

"Sit here." He motioned to the seat closest to a set of windows. I looked around him and noticed that Edward was glaring at the back of Jacob's head. I almost jumped out of my skin because I hadn't expected him to be in this class.

"Hi Edward," I said quietly. He snapped his eyes to mine before silently nodding.

Before anything else could be said, the teacher walked in. Apparently his name was Mr. Varner and he was a no-nonsense type of guy.

He spent the next hour going over the syllabus and droning on about what he expected out of all of us. I was sitting slightly in front of Edward and for some reason I could feel his eyes burning into the back of my head the entire period. This made it quite hard to concentrate on Varner's words.

Once the bell rang, everyone scrambled out of their seats. I had barely moved when I noticed someone blocking my path. I looked up to see who it was….Eric Yorkie.

"Hey Bella," he said.

"Uh, hi." I tried maneuvering around him, but he wouldn't take the hint.

"Need help finding your next class?" he asked, licking his lips

_Gross._

"No, she's covered Yorkie," a harsh voice came from behind me.

I felt a large hand land gently on my shoulder. I turned to see that it was Jacob who gave me a warm smile. Edward appeared next to Jacob, glaring at Eric.

"Move now or risk losing a limb," he said in a low voice. I couldn't help the shudder of pleasure run down my spine at the tone. Yep, I guess I was a freak who thought pissed-off Edward was hot.

"Alrighty then!" Eric saluted us before turning and high-tailing it out the room.

Both guys were looking intently at me. I just shrugged and smiled, pulling out my school map to find my next class.

"You don't need that Bells. I will help you get where you need to go. What do you have next?" Jacob said, pulling my cluster of papers from my hand to look at them.

I heard a huff come from Edward before he brushed by us and out the door.

"Looks like you have Government next with Jensen. Follow me m'lady." Jacob motioned to the door with an exaggerated British accent. A bad one at that.

We walked out of one building and into another one. The hallway was full of people milling around, taking as much time between classes as they were allowed to socialize. I noticed once again that people were staring at me, but this time they were eyeing Jake along with me.

"Ignore them. They are just jealous, trust me. Most of them aren't worth you're time," Jake whispered as we came to a stop in front of my next class.

"I know. You just never get used to being stared at like that, it's disconcerting sometimes."

"Yeah, I get that. Well I need to get to shop class. Its good to see you back in Forks again gorgeous, we should hang out when there is some free time," he said with a wink.

"Count on it Black. I will see you at lunch?"

"Definitely. Later." And with that, my old friend walked back down the hallway. He had definitely grown and was different then I remembered him. Charlie's words echoed in my mind about the group of boys…including Jacob. So far, I couldn't see much of a reason to stay away from any of them.

Second period went by quickly. Angela Weber and Ben Cheney were in my class, which was nice. She pointed me in the direction of English Lit. where I was to have class with Alice next.

I was barely through the door before I heard Alice's animated voice. I looked towards the back of the class to see her surrounded by Alec and a few other guys. A few of the girls that were in the 'Edward Cullen' fan club were sitting around the guys throwing Alice dirty looks.

I made my way over to the group.

"Bella! There you are. Take a seat," Alice said motioning to the seat directing to her right.

"Hey Bella. How is the first day of school? Enjoying the gawking?" Alec asked with a smile.

"Oh yes…being stared at as if I am in a display case at a museum is one of my ideas of a good time," I replied sarcastically, adding a wink.

The group laughed and I was quickly introduced to Embry, Demitri and Garrett. I learned that the girls throwing the nasty looks were Lauren Mallory (I couldn't help the mischievous smirk that overtook my features at seeing an old nemesis) and Tanya Denali. Both girls looked as if they smelled something foul under their noses.

"Hey Lauren?" I said, turning slightly to talk to her.

"Yes Bella?" she said in mock sweetness.

"You might want to straighten out your face or your botched nose job will permanently freeze as if you sucked on a sour lemon," I said just as sweetly.

There was a round of laughter and even a few suppressed snorts from the group around me.

Lauren huffed. "How _dare _you suggest that…that…I had a nose job! Just wait until…"

But she was cut off by the teacher arriving. Lauren continued to glare at me throughout the class period. I couldn't restrain the smug smile that pulled at my features. Alec turned around and bumped fists with me and I felt Demitri give me a gentle pat on the shoulder from behind me.

Once the bell rang, Lauren ran out with Tanya following close behind. I think she even was crying…

"About time some put that bitch in her place. She has been walking around with a huge stick up her ass for years. What brought that on Swan?" Embry inquired.

"Lauren and I have never gotten along. Let's just say it was a bit of payback. She deserved it…" I trailed off, instantly going down memory lane.

Jessica Stanley was always tolerable even if she was completely psychotic. Her best friend Lauren was always moody and pouty when it wasn't about her. The first time our feuding personalities came head-to-head was on the playground in first grade. It was my turn at the monkey bars when all of the sudden I felt a sharp jab in my ribs, which caused me to fall off the ladder and chip a tooth in the process. Thank goodness I still had some baby teeth…or that shit would have just sucked. The instigator turned out to be Lauren, hence the pure hatred between us.

Turns out Alec happened to be in my photography class. He pulled out a fancy looking camera from his very flat book bag.

"You don't strike me as the type to be into this type of thing," I said conversationally. We decided to sit together at one of the counters, hopefully being partners when needed.

"My mom got me into when I was young. She passed away about three years ago and it became more of a hobby to help me feel closer to her," he whispered almost sadly.

I instinctively put my hand on his bicep, giving it a gently squeeze. "That's really sweet that you do it Alec. I can definitely relate."

I dropped my hand and looked at the desk, trying to reel in the emotions that wanted to flood to the surface. Hearing him talk like that hit really close to home.

"What do you mean…" he was cut off by Mrs. Smith arriving.

Throughout the rest of the period, Mrs. Smith went over the syllabus and had us silently fill out a questionnaire about what we hoped to get out of the class, how much experience we had with taking pictures, etc.

The bell rang before any more conversation could be continued with Alec. I stood and gathered my belongings before silently walking beside him. We entered the busy lunch room where he led me to a table in the very back, right corner of the building. A bunch of people were already seated and all conversation seemed to have stopped once they caught sight of me.

I looked around and noticed that Tanya and Lauren were at one end with Jessica, glaring at me. She really should watch out for her face freezing like that. Next to Jessica was who I assumed to be Mike Newton. He had a goofy grin come over his face as if I had just walked right out of a Playboy centerfold. Around the other side were Jake, Embry, Demitri, Alice and finally…Edward. Alec settled between Mike and Jacob, instantly picking up on the conversation that had been taking place before our arrival.

Alice scooted over so that I could sit between her and Edward. Once I was settled in, Alice shoved her tray over to me, which I now realized was filled enough for two people.

"How is your day going so far?" she asked while munching on an apple.

"It's okay. I hate all the staring," I mumbled.

"You get used to it," the ever silent Edward chimed in.

I turned to him, noticing that the only thing he had in front of him was a bottle of Gatorade.

"Aren't you hungry?" I asked.

"No. I hate the cafeteria food. I will eat when I get home," he mumbled not looking up at me.

"Hm, I get what you mean." I couldn't help the strong distaste after taking a bite out of the pizza.

"Told ya." He smiled and finally looked at me. I couldn't help but to mirror his features with my own.

He didn't really talk much after that…only when he was directly asked a question. Mike Newton decided to come over and introduce himself. His hand was all sweaty and he smelled like wet dog. And it didn't escape my notice that for the third time that day, Edward had a murderous look in his eye when a male tried to talk to me.

The bell rang yet again. "Well its time to head off to Chemistry."

"You have Chemistry? With Banner?" Edward asked in a low voice.

"Yes."

"Me too. Follow me." He motioned with his hand for me to follow. He didn't even both to turn around to see if I was in fact behind him. I grabbed my bag and gave Alice a small wave before scurrying to catch up with Edward.

When we got to the classroom, I noticed that Mike and Jessica were in the class with us. Edward kept walking to the very last lab table in the back of the room. I made to go follow him but hesitated, not sure if he wanted me to sit next to him. I looked around nervously, noticing that Mike not so subtly inched his seat closer to the empty one next to him, trying to get me to sit next to him. I looked back at Edward whose jaw appeared to be clenched tight, his fists as white as a ghost from being squeezed so slightly. I took a step in his direction when I noticed that he instantly relaxed.

With that to fuel my movements, my confidence returned as I walked to his table. I heard rather then saw Mike let out a whimper as I walked passed him, completely ignoring his attempts at getting my attention.

"I am guessing you want to be partners Swan?" Edward asked as I came to a stop in front of the table.

"That's the plan. Whether you like or not," I said with a ring of authority.

As I sat down next to him I could hear him muttering to himself.

"What was that?" I asked, leaning slightly in his direction to hear him better.

"Uh, nothing."

I gave him strange look before our class officially begun. We were to be lab partners for the rest of the year, which silently had me jumping internally.

I kept peeking at him out of the corner of my eye. His body had turned slightly in my direction, with his hand still clenching every once and awhile on top of the desk. After the fifth time of that, I got tired of looking at him cutting off his own circulation. So when he did it again about halfway through the period, I unthinkingly brushed my hands across his, trying to relax his fingers. Immediately I felt a current run through my fingers when my skin made contact with his. We both immediately withdrew our hands from the desk and put then underneath.

I completely forgot the fact that we were in a classroom, in the middle of a lecture. All that mattered was Edward's intense stare and my shallow breathing. He held eye contact for what seemed like hours before he abruptly looked away.

"I believe you said that we are going to have two group projects and ten exams, not including the final," Edward said to Banner…obviously answering a question that he was asked.

"Thank you Mr. Cullen," Banner rasped out, giving us both a suspicious look.

Edward turned back to me with a bright smile. I shook my head and turned back to the front of the classroom.

_What had just happened?_

Nothing else happened during class and Edward was the first to exit the classroom once the bell rang.

I made my way slowly to P.E., dreading the class with a passion. None of my new friends were in the class with me, which made me feel slightly better at not having to display my klutziness to them.

The final bell rang, signaling that I made it through my first day at Forks High. I met Alice at the car, quickly climbing in and starting the engine. I noticed Edward and Alec make there way out to the cars. Before I could pull out, Edward tapped on the hood of my car. He leaned down into Alice's open window with a wide smile on his face.

"Bella, in order to be my lab partner, one must actually pay attention to the teacher and not so much at their lab partner."

Before I could retort, he winked and quickly hopped into his car.

"What the hell was that Bella?" Alice exclaimed, watching her brother zip out of the parking lot.

"Nothing. He is just exaggerating," I said rolling my eyes.

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I could help but feel both tense and excited about the coming school year.

Now that Edward Cullen was in my life…I had a feeling that everything was about to be turned upside down.

--

**A/N: So there is Bella's first day. I was originally going to do that plus go through the rest of the school week…but the chapter was already getting long. I hope you enjoyed the Edward interaction, I love writing him. Jacob will not play a huge role in the story…just as a supporting role of friend to both. He may try to make a pass at Bella, but I still haven't decided yet. It will be incredibly minor if it does happen. **

**I haven't done this before…but I have a story recc. for you all. It is called "Living Backwards" by ciaobella27. It is well written, witty, sweet and sexy all rolled into one. She writes this Bella and Edward very well. *swoons* It's in my Favorite's. Go check it out…after you review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you everyone for reviewing, favoriting me and putting me on Alert! I really appreciate every one of them that comes into my inbox. Now on with the next installment…**

**Disclaimer: Ms. Meyer owns…which sucks because I wish I owned Edward. Especially leather jacket wearing Edward.**

--

Ch. 10

On Tuesday morning my bedroom door was locked and Alice was still able to wake me up at the crack of dawn. After fighting her tooth and nail on a sleazy skirt she was trying to force me into, she relented and allowed me to wear a pair of beloved jeans and my Chucks. I still got stared at in school, but I was able to ignore it more. The few times I had a run-in with Edward showed that he was able to go back behind his stoic mask that he always showed me. The moment in Chemistry must have been a fluke accident.

Wednesday was my introduction to true Washington weather since I had moved back. The clouds were heavily grey, no room for the sun to shine through. As Alice and I pulled into the high school parking lot the slight drizzle turned into a torrential downpour.

The morning passed without incident until I got to lunch. Lauren had decided to be a bitch and try to start a rumor about me…but it didn't have much merit. Apparently she thought my boobs were fake…I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not. As I sat down between Alice and Angela, I looked up to find Edward staring intently at me. As if he were trying to decide how true the rumor had been. Once again my cheeks blazed up under his attention. This seemed to break him out of his trance because in the next moment he spent the remainder of lunch time glaring in Lauren's direction. That was the extent of our contact since he seemed to like to pretend I didn't exist in our classes.

Friday finally arrived, with it came the first bout of sunshine since the beginning of the week. From deep in my bones I could feel that it was going to be a good day. I had taken to just setting my alarm shortly before Alice arrived…I really hated being jolted awake. I was still having nightmares on and off, but I tried not to let it show during the daytime.

--

We were just pulling into the parking lot when Alice jumped slightly in her seat.

"What is it Ali?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh nothing is wrong. I just forgot to tell you that I am spending the whole weekend over at your house. I cleared it with Charlie already." She flipped the visor down to make sure her make-up was in place before getting out of the car.

"I forgot we had a date to redo my room. I guess that's fine…we are going to have to either tarp all my furniture or remove some of the bigger pieces…that may take awhile if its just us," I spoke mostly to myself.

"Don't you worry about it. I have that part covered," she said with a wink.

I scanned the parking lot and noticed that Edward, Jake and the rest of the guys were leaning against several motorcycles while smoking. I eyed Edward appreciatively…obviously he was taking advantage of possibly one of the last sunny days of the year.

He looked my way as if he could read my thoughts. Before I could react though, I had Alice pulling at my elbow. I sighed and turned to follow her, wishing I could stare at him a little longer.

First period was interesting. The guys seemed to be more jovial then usual, especially Edward. His hair was still slightly damp from his morning shower and he was wearing his famous leather jacket, grey t-shirt and worn jeans. The man looked like he could have walked straight out of a magazine photoshoot. It was ridiculous.

Jake kept throwing random pieces of paper back at Edward, who returned them steadily with a firing arm. Halfway through the period I felt movement up against my ponytail. I turned slightly in my seat to see what it was only to find Edward withdrawing his hand slowly from my hair, a piece of crushed notebook paper in his hand. He was looking intermittently between the paper and my hair. I raised a curious eyebrow at him which seemed to break him out of whatever he was thinking about. He immediately sat straight in his seat, looking forward.

The rest of the morning wasn't as interesting. One thing I noticed during my first week of classes was that Eric Yorkie and Mike Newton had taken to partnering up and following me around like lost puppy dolls. I would walk down the halls with them trailing behind me, only to walk passed someone like Alec or Embry who would be falling all over themselves with laughter. The only one that didn't find it amusing was Edward…of course. He was turning more and more into an enigma. It was becoming very frustrating because I hated feeling like I wasn't in the loop about something.

I walked into the cafeteria, feeling an immediate charge because the weekend was only hours away. My new table was filled as usual, this time placing me between Alice and Edward again. And can I just say the man smelled good enough to eat. Like a mixture of spearmint, cinnamon and some unknown male smell.

I sunk into my daydream of doing naughty things to Edward…

"Does that sound okay Edward?" Alice's voice broke into my thoughts.

"Uh, I'm not sure. What about the Chief?" Edward was looking nervously between Alice and I. The fact that Edward seemed anxious at all immediately made me curious.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired.

"Remember how I told you I had the labor taken care of? Well I am enlisting the help of Edward and Alec. Doesn't that sound okay, _Bella_?" she emphasized my name, giving me a glare.

"Erm…I…think it would be fine. Charlie wont be home until after eleven tonight. I guess he has to help out on a case up in Port Angeles."

"Great! Then that's settled. Edward, be in front of Bella's house at exactly four. Not a moment sooner or later. Got that?" she said leaning across my lap to get into her brothers face.

I swore I heard a soft snort come from him as he began to chuckle. "Sure sprite, don't get your panties in a tizzy."

The fact that Edward was going to be in the very place where many of my fantasies took place was not lost on me. My small attraction for him had ignited into a full fledged obsession since the shopping trip we went on the weekend before. Perhaps obsession was a strong word…but it fit with how powerful of a draw he had on me.

We made our way towards the science building together. Instead of keep a full foot away from me, I noticed that he was now almost shoulder to shoulder, occasionally placing his hand in the center of my back to guide me through the crowd. A shudder ran down my spine every time; hopefully he didn't notice.

Even if I wanted to, we didn't get a chance to talk because Banner strolled in with one of the ancient televisions and we were subjected to a 70's version on atoms.

Finally after an hour of dozing, the bell rang. I gathered up my bag and notebook as Edward threw me a small smile and walking ahead of me out the door. I walked in silence until I met up in Alice in front of my car.

We pulled out and waited in the traffic exiting the parking lot. The guys zoomed passed us on their bikes, waving as they went. Edward stopped next to my open window.

"So I will see you at four?" he asked, staring only at me. I could only nod.

"Bring my overnight bag with you, it should be sitting by the stairs," Alice barked out.

"Will do," he sighed, giving us a mock salute before following the rest of his friends.

I turned to face forward again, only to find Alice giving me an appraising glance. After a minute she shrugged and leaned down to fiddle with the stereo.

--

Twenty minutes later, we were sprawled out on the couches, catching the last part of Ellen. I don't think I had laughed that hard in months.

At five to four we shut the TV off and went upstairs to strip my bed of its sheets.

"So I see that you and my brother are getting along a little better." Alice's voice filling the quiet atmosphere.

"I guess," I mumbled.

"Is there something going on?" she questioned.

My eyes snapped up to meet hers. "No Alice! We would actually have to have a full conversation filled with complete sentences in order for that to happen!"

"Okay, okay. But you would tell me if anything happened, right? I mean…he's my brother!"

"Yes. But I doubt that Edward sees me as anything but the neighbor," I said, noticing the slight sullen tone of my voice.

Before Alice could comment, there was a loud knock from the front door.

"Our man labor is here!" Alice sang as she ran down the hallway.

I followed a bit slower, suddenly nervous of having Edward near.

Alice was just opening the door when I came up to stand beside her.

Edward and Alec stood sans leather jackets on the small porch, the lowering sun creating a halo around them. Edward had his hands stuck in his pockets, teetering back and forth in his Chucks.

"Well hello dear brother of mine and his best friend! Welcome to Bella's humble abode," Alice said dramatically, swinging her arm in a welcoming motion. Both guys rolled their eyes as they stepped into the doorway.

The sight of Edward in the entryway did something funny to my heart; just a slight increase in beat, but enough for me to suck in a silent breath.

"Hey Bells…lookin' good!" Alec said brightly. I looked down at my comfortable attire of yoga shorts and a small tank top. "Don't you agree Edward?"

I looked to Edward, watching him rake his eyes over me. Some was very primal in the way his eyes were focused on the pieces of cloth on my body.

"I don't know what you're talking about Alec. This is just ratty clothes that don't ever see the outside walls of my house."

"No…he's right," Edward said suddenly.

We all turned to him, giving him curious glances. Mine probably resembled more of a confused one. _Did he just say I looked good?_

"I mean, those shorts are…great," he mumbled.

"Thanks Edward," I responded quietly, my eyes trained on the floor.

"Ooookay. Don't know what that was exactly. But enough chic-chat, time to get to the real work!" Alice clapped her hands and led the way upstairs.

Alec instantly followed behind her. Edward and I stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before I made my way up the stairs first. I could hear his heavy footfalls directly behind me as we entered my room.

I shifted to the side to allow him to enter. He paused in the doorway, looking around the room with great intent.

"Nice size," he mumbled, eyeing the bed.

I wasn't sure if he meant the room or my bed, but my face immediately flushed. It was quickly getting old; nobody had gotten that type of reaction out of me since I was a kid.

"Wait until you see it when it's all finished!" Alice declared, obviously missing the possible innuendo.

He made a slight choking sound before asking where they should start first.

Two hours later, five trips up and down the stairs, two pitchers of iced tea and two trays of pizza snacks later…my room was pretty empty.

Alice and I walked the guys to the front door, pushing the rest of the snacks with them.

"Thanks again for all the help guys. Really, you have no idea how much you helped," I said sincerely.

"No need to thank us Bella," Alec said.

"Will you need help moving everything back in after painting?" Edward inquired.

"I'm sure we can use the help again. Don't feel obligated to do it though, we can always find someone else if it's too much trouble."

"No…I don't mind helping again," he said a bit shyly.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, staring at me through his lashes.

"Enough with the flirting you two! C'mon Bell, we have a ton to do!" Alice said pulling me back into the house.

"Bye," I said quietly as the door was shutting.

"See ya," Edward answered back just as the door closed completely.

--

Saturday morning dawned bright and early. Alice had already been up for a full hour before I woke up. The smell of coffee had me almost floating down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"It smells pretty fucking divine in here Ali." I grabbed the mug that she thrusted in my direction and took my usual seat at the small breakfast table.

"I try."

"Did you sleep okay? Sorry about having to move the bed, the air mattresses weren't that great," I said taking a deep sip.

"I slept fine. Listen…I need to ask you something," she said seriously.

"What's up?" I said nervously.

"Have you been sleeping okay?" she asked.

My back immediately stiffened at her question. I was hoping really hard that I didn't say anything stupid in my sleep. "I sleep fine. Why?"

"Well. Throughout the night you would mumble and whimper. And at one point you started crying." Her voice was laced with concern.

"It's nothing…" I trailed off.

"Bullshit its nothing. What had you crying? Was it your mom?" She sat down on the chair adjacent to me, staring at me with complete concentration.

"Um, it's complicated." My voice cracked. "It changes each night."

"Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because it's just a dream!" I exclaimed, my voice going a bit higher then necessary.

"I think it's something deeper. Do you need someone to talk to about it?" she asked, reaching over and grasping my right hand lightly.

"Just let me handle it Ali. I have it under control," I mumbled.

"Alright, but just know that I am here." She sighed.

--

We were in my room four hours later, spreading the paint across the white walls. Random songs were playing from my iPod in the background. Occasionally we would say something, causing the other to laugh.

"So you and my brother?" she asked.

"Not this again!"

"Oh come on! You can't deny that something went on between you two yesterday afternoon."

"Alice," I whined.

"You like him don't you?" she asked suddenly, stopping her paint strokes.

I stared at her for a long moment, trying to formulate an appropriate answer. "Alice, I can't explain it. I just have this pull towards him. So to answer your question, I suppose I do. But it is probably one-sided. And _please _stay out of it. I would be mortified if you talked about it with him."

"Sweetie, that boy has it bad. Don't you think I know my brother a little bit?"

I raised my eyebrows in doubt.

"Well I do Bella. And I know he does. He just has dealt with a lot of shit in his past that keeps him from being outwardly affectionate most of the time."

"Everyone has had a rough time at some point in their life," I mumbled. "Changing the focus. What was that with you in Jasper?"

For the first time in our very long friendship, Alice blushed. "Um…I…he…oh Jesus! I'm in love with the man!"

My jaw went slightly slack at her outburst.

"I mean, I have been into him for quite awhile. He was the guy I was talking to you about last weekend," she said.

"Really?" My mind instantly went to the 'date' that we went on, immediately deciding not to bring it up to Alice.

"Yeah." She continued with her painting.

It was silent again for awhile before she decided to say something else. "I just want you to know that you have my blessing if anything were to happen between you and my brother. Just so you know…"

I sighed. "Thanks Alice."

--

Alice slept over again that night, this time we parked it in the living room because the paint fumes would have gotten us high in our sleep.

Charlie was gone before we woke up…probably to fish again.

Edward and Alec came over about ten to help us move the big pieces of the furniture back into my bedroom. They both complimented on our colorful paint jobs. They didn't stay too long, which made me slightly disappointed that I barely got to talk to Edward.

Alice and I spent the rest of the afternoon decorating the bed and my bare walls. I cooked her and Charlie dinner before I drove her back up to her place.

When I got back to my house and up the stairs I swirled around my new and improved bedroom with a shot of glee. There was nothing like the feeling of accomplishing something so beautiful.

--

**A/N: As I said before, updates will be coming when I find a free moment to write between classes, work and homework. I am going to finish this story, so no worries! Follow me on Twitter if you want updates. Link in profile. I hope you enjoyed. It would make my day if you pressed that green button below and reviewed! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own. **

**A/N at the bottom.**

--

Ch. 11

Wednesday of the following week, I experienced the worst dream yet.

Instead of the continuous one of me on the outside looking in, I was in the actual vehicle with them during impact.

I awoke right on the precipice of a panic attack. As I brought my hands up to wipe my matted hair from my sweaty forehead, I noticed how badly they were shaking.

_What the fuck was going on with me? _I had never been one to have repetitive dreams in the past. All I knew was that I was always tired and I hadn't been very happy since they started almost three weeks ago.

Before I could move from my spot in bed, there was a light knock on the door.

"Bells? Are you up?" came the voice of my father from the other side.

I sniffled and tried to wipe my eyes. "Yeah."

"Can I come in?" he inquired.

"If you want." My voice croaked from the effort.

I watched as he slowly opened the door and peaked around the edge. I continued to wipe my eyes with the back of my hands.

"Jesus Bella. Are you alright?" he asked suddenly, now fully standing in my room.

"I just had a rough night. I'm not feeling too well. Do you mind if I stay home?"

"Of course. I'll call the school to let them know. Do you think anyone could get homework for you?"

"I'm sure Alice can get some from half my classes. I will ask her to see if Edward can get the ones that we share classes for." I noticed that he stiffened at the mention of Edward's name. "Relax dad…he would be helping me out a lot if he could collect things for me."

"Do what you have to do I guess. I have to get to the station, will you be okay? There is some cold medicine in the hallway cabinet."

"I'll be fine, have a nice day."

After the click of my bedroom door closing, I flopped back down into my pillows. When the dreams first started, I wasn't too worried. They were only happening every few night…it was manageable. Now, they happened every single time without fail. I didn't even want to think about looking at my reflection, the dark circles under my eyes probably looked horrible.

After a few minutes of calming myself down, I reached for my phone and scrolled through to contacts to find Alice.

Pushing talk, I held it to me ear.

She finally answered on the third ring, "Bella? I'm almost ready to come meet you."

"About that…I am going to stay home today."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Not really. I just have a huge headache and my head feels stuffy. Do you think you can get some of my homework today? And maybe see if Edward will get the rest from the classes we have together?"

"Sure sweetie. Do you need anything?" she asked with a concerned tone. She sounded almost like Esme, even though they weren't even blood related.

"I should be okay. It's just been a rough few weeks. I have some cold medicine that I am going to use…knock myself out for a few hours. Just drop my homework off sometime after school."

"Alright. I'll just get a ride with Edward and let him know. See you later?" she asked in question form.

"Sure. Have a good one." We hung up after that.

I managed to pull myself from the bed and immediately felt dizzy. I grasped the wall in the hallway and used it as a crutch to make it to the cabinet. I found the Nyquil and made my way back to my bathroom. Luckily I had a glass sitting next to the sink, so this saved me a trip all the way downstairs.

After taking a bit more then the recommended dosage, I pulled my bird's nest of hair into a ponytail and went to lie back in bed. My new curtains blocked out any light, but I highly doubted it was anything by cloudy and rainy beyond my bedroom windows.

I must have dozed because what felt like not even a moment later, there was a loud knocking coming from downstairs. I noticed that my head didn't feel as bad, but my eyes were sore from the mixture of crying and lack of sleep. My throat felt scratchy, but that could be the lack of water I drank all day.

Looking over at my alarm clock, it said it was just after 3:30 in the afternoon. I had been sleeping for almost eight hours without a single dream to interrupt. I guess the aid of sleeping sedatives isn't always so bad.

The loud knocking brought me back to focus. I scrambled out of my bed, still feeling shaky. I made my way downstairs to the front door. I figured it was Alice since school ended at three. Instead, when I swung open the door with a flourish, Edward stood just beyond the threshold. I froze in place, shocked to find him there instead of his sister. He seemed to be rooted in his spot with a slightly dazed look on his face. I noticed his eyes were traveling everywhere over my body.

I looked down and noted the boyshorts and white tank-top, completely forgetting I was still in my pajamas. I let him do it for another moment before clearing my throat. His eyes snapped back up to meet mine, his irises slightly dilated. I didn't notice the slight chill in the air until that moment and gave a slight shiver. Wanting to close the door on the cold, I motioned for him to follow me in. He hesitated for a brief moment before actually moving.

"I'll be right back, just have a seat." I motioned toward the living room. I didn't wait for a reply before I stormed back up the stairs and into my room. I found the first pair of black yoga pants and slipped them on. The whole time I was thinking, _Why was he here?_

I made my way back downstairs and silently stopped in the doorway of the living room. Edward had his backed turned to me, perusing the portraits hanging on the walls and on the mantle. He was looking intently at one, but I couldn't see because he was blocking my view of it.

"Sorry about that. I figured this would be more appropriate for company," I mumbled. He turned around at the sound of my voice.

"Is that what you wear to bed?" he asked.

"What? When I opened the door?" I asked. He nodded.

"Usually I do. Depends on how cool it is. When it's warmer, I tend to go in another direction."

"Like what?" he asked quickly.

I quirked my eyebrow at his question…it was being a little noisy.

"That is privileged information," I said dryly.

He at least looked slightly embarrassed from his round of questioning.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I finally asked.

"I brought you homework. Alice had something come up and asked if I'd bring it over." He held up a folder that I hadn't noticed before.

"Oh, well thank you." I walked over to where he stood and grabbed the folder from him. As he was letting go, he intentially grazed his long fingers over my knuckles.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked softly, retracting his hand back to his side.

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry I didn't hear the door right away. Were you out there long?"

"I knocked for a few minutes. I was getting ready to just leave it under the plant when you opened the door."

"Sorry…the Nyquil must have really knocked me out. I need some water, would you like anything?"

"Water sounds good."

I motioned for him to follow me into the kitchen. He took up a seat in the breakfast nook as I went to the fridge and grabbed two water bottles. I handed him one before taking the seat opposite of him. I never really noticed just how small the table was until I sat across from Edward.

"So…did I miss anything exciting today?" I asked.

"Not really. Not much happens at Forks High as far as excitement goes. The noise was slightly louder when news spread that the new girl wasn't there," he said with a smile. I noticed that his eyes crinkled slightly on the side when he did that, and hidden dimples burst out on either side of his cheeks. He was breathtaking in that moment.

"Haha. Pretty pathetic that me being sickly would shake up everybody's day. Kind of pathetic."

"I guess it depends on who it is…" he trailed off, staring intently at his water bottle.

I took another swig of mine, trying to get the dryness from my throat.

"You look so tired," he said suddenly. I met his eyes instantly, taken aback by the sudden comment. And as if in slow motion, I watched as his hand came up from under the table and met the side of my face. His fingers slowly grazed my cheek bone before rising and softly sliding the pad of his thumb underneath my eyes. I could have sworn I heard him mutter 'so dark' under his breath. "Have you not been sleeping? Is that why you weren't there?"

I just shrugged, not really wanting to discuss it.

He must have sensed it because he quickly stood up and made his way over to the cabinets that held pots and pans.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I bet you haven't had one thing to eat today, huh?" He turned to me with a challenging looking…telling me to not even bother trying to lie.

"No. I haven't left my bed all day."

"So I am going to make you some chicken soup. Do you have any of the stove-top kind in the can?" he asked.

I was a bit shocked that he knew his way around the kitchen…even if it was to make pre-canned soup.

I got up and went to the pantry. Turning around with the can, I ran smack dab into his chest. He grabbed my arms tightly, holding me to him. My face was pressed against his muscular shoulder and chest. "Sorry," I mumbled. I ended up accidentally inhaling his scent. For some reason it had a calming effect.

Before he let go of me, I could have sworn I heard him take a deep sniff of my hair. I stepped back slightly in the small space and handed him a can.

"So you cook?"

"Yeah. Right after I came to live with the Cullen's, I was really shy. Carlisle and Esme were so patient with me. As a way to break me out of my shell, Esme took up teaching me the basics of cooking…eventually letting me be more creative. I just don't do it too often anymore. Don't want it getting out to the guys about it," he said…turning to give me a wink.

I couldn't help the slight giggle that escaped my mouth. He was actually kidding around with me. It was one of the first times he seemed to relax his guard slightly around me.

We were silent while he cooked on the stove. I reached up and pulled out two bowls. He looked at me questioningly. "Don't you want some?" I asked.

"Sure. I could use something after that god-awful food at school."

We each took our respective bowls and sat back down at the small kitchen table.

"The Chief isn't going to be pissed that I'm here, right?"

"He isn't supposed to be home until after six. So we have time. You're not his favorite though Edward, I'm not gonna lie."

"Good. I don't want you to."

We dropped back into silence to finish our meal. Even though he pretty much just heated up and added water to the canned soup, it tasted really good. Maybe it was because I felt a strong pull to the cook.

We continued to not say much as he offered to help me clean up our mess. There was a comfortable camaraderie between us as we worked side by side. I looked up at the kitchen clock as we finished up, noting at it was going on five o'clock.

"You've been here for a long time," I mused.

He followed my line of sight and grinned. "Yeah I guess so. Doesn't even feel like it."

We unconsciously made our way to the door. He looked at it a little forlornly.

"I guess I better get going. I do have some homework to get done. You'll be in school tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I don't want to get too behind." We both looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact. I was _never _this shy around the opposite sex. He seemed to bring out this new part of me that I hadn't discovered yet.

I pulled open the door and he made to walk out before stopping and turning back to me.

"Thanks for bringing my homework and making me the soup. It felt nice to be taken care of for once," I admitted in a low voice.

"It was my pleasure," he said in a deeper voice then normal. I met his eyes, which seemed to have many different feelings behind them. Each too fast to capture before another replaced them. He reached over and stroked my cheek bone again, causing me to lightly shut my eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow Bella."

As I opened my eyes, he was already down my drive-way and entering his. An immediate sense of loneliness crept in to replace the warming sensation that his touch caused.

I closed the door again and as I was walking past the living room to walk back upstairs, I remembered the picture he had been staring at. I weaved around the furniture until I stood in front of a cluster of photos. Most were school portraits and pictures from my summers in Forks over the years. I looked at the one that held so much interest for Edward…it turned out to be the one when Alice and I had spent an all day beach trip in La Push and she had caught me off guard by snapping a picture of me in my favorite black and white bikini. _Why had Edward been so interested in it?_

I suddenly felt tired all over and again, so I made my way back up to my bed and fell back asleep once again.

***

"Wake up Bella," came a distant voice. It was a new voice in the constant nightmare. I kept hearing it repeated, over and over. My subconscious immediately realized that I must still be in sleep mode, because the voice was getting steadily closer.

"I said wake up!" the voice was slightly frantic now.

"What's going on?" I moaned because the headache was back. I finally opened my eyes, noticing that my room was darker then it was when I fell asleep. The clock said it was a little after seven at night. I looked over and noticed that Charlie was hovering over me.

"Dammit Bella. What haven't you been telling me?" he asked in a strained tone.

"W-what do you mean?" There was a warning alarm going off in the back of my head now.

"Let's see. Waking up screaming, constantly crying, barely any sleep, muttering random things…the list goes on. How long has this been going on?" He sat heavily on the side of the bed.

Immediately tears began to leak out of my eyes. I made to wipe them away when he caught my wrists in his bigger ones.

"Bella…talk to me," he pleaded.

"I-I don't know how to explain." My voice sounded so small and weak. It made me ashamed to be afraid of stupid dreams.

"Try to."

"Um…I keep having the s-same dream, over and over. I-It's from the night mom died. Each time it becomes more and more of my fault," I cried out, inhaling deeply from the lack of oxygen going in and out of my system. "She shouldn't have died. It's all my fault!"

Before I even realized there was movement, Charlie was sitting directly next to me. He engulfed me fully into his arms, squeezing so tightly. Instead of the suffocating feeling that may have usually come, I felt safe in his warm embrace. He kept whispering 'shh' and muttering 'It's not your fault'…and allowed me to cry into his sleeve. We sat like that for what felt like hours. Once the freedom of release finally left my system, all I felt was self-hatred. It really was my fault that she was even there that night, and the dreams were my punishment for it.

"That isn't true Isabella and deep down you know it!" Charlie said sternly.

"Did I just say that out loud?"

"Yes you did. Now quit blaming yourself."

"I-I can't. You weren't there…I couldn't do _anything _for them. The most I was able to do was get the damned police there…but it was probably too late."

"This can't continue Bella. You aren't functioning correctly. I know that was the reason you didn't go to school today. May I give a suggestion?"

I reluctantly nodded.

"I think you should go talk to someone."

"As in therapy?!" I pushed him away. "I'm not a mental head case dad. I don't need a stranger to know my problems."

"I never said you were a head case. But I do think having an outsiders opinion would help you out. I know it's hard to talk to me…so why not try with someone that you don't even know?"

I sat there in silence for a good two minutes. Charlie fidgeting uncomfortably but didn't move to get up.

"Can I think about it?" I sighed.

"Yes, but do it quickly." I nodded as he gave me a kiss on the forehead before leaving me to my own thoughts.

If I was being honest with myself, I was getting so tired of waking up all sweaty and crying my heart out. My anxiety level must have been through the roof. Maybe getting some medicine would help that. I wouldn't be happy about going…but I may as well give it a try.

I got out of bed and took a long bath that night, still mulling over the options. There was no better one then what Charlie had suggested.

Right around ten that night, I walked down the stairs to see him in his usual arm chair.

"Dad?"

He turned slightly around to see me. "Yeah?"

"I've made a decision. I'll t-try it…" I stuttered.

"Good choice Bells. I want you to take some more of that Nyquil that you took earlier so that you will feel up to attending school tomorrow. And after school, we will set up an appointment with somebody, okay?"

"Okay."

I turned back up the stairs, did what Charlie said and fell into another dreamless sleep.

***

The following Monday morning I found myself in Port Angeles at Dr. Irena McPherson's office.

"Isabella Swan?" the receptionist asked from her little perch behind the desk.

"Yes?"

"Dr. McPherson is ready to see you. Please make your way through that door," she said in a sweet voice, pointing her hand to the only other door in the place.

_I'm not stupid lady._

I nodded and made my way over to the door. Just to be safe, I gave a light knock before entering the unfamiliar room. There were large windows overlooking downtown Port Angeles and sitting behind a large dark oak desk was a beautiful brunette. She looked to be in her late thirties.

As I walked further into the room, she looked up from her laptop with a gentle smile.

"Hello. You must be Isabella?" she asked standing up.

"Um, yes. But just Bella." I shook her outstretched hand before dropping my own again.

"Alright Bella. Why don't we get started? Have a seat over there." She motioned towards a dark brown, leather couch. I did as she asked while she gathered up the stereotypical notepad and pen before sitting in the overstuffed chair across from me.

"How are you feeling about coming to therapy?" she inquired.

"I'm not too sure right now. I know it is not the worst thing for me…but I am kind of resentful about be cornered into coming."

"Okay. Now I want you to put that thought process on hold, but don't forget it. For now, I want you to share with me some of your family history." She scribbled on her stupid notepad incessantly.

I took a deep breath, rushing all of my known memories of my family and me together into the forefront of my mind. When I finally had the thoughts in order, I opened my mouth and answered.

--

**A/N: Okay…so there was a little bit of everything in there. Edward was finally around long enough for them each to carry on more then a two sentence conversation. I view that as progress. I know it's a slow build up…but I am trying to make this realistic. Things will start happening next chapter if I plan it right. We got to see a softer side of Edward…perhaps a preview of what is to come?**

**Let me know what you thought. I want to make sure you are still enjoying it. Also, let me know in your review if you want another Edward POV in an upcoming chapter. There are always two perspectives in a story. **

**Um…I finally started a blog. The link is: **http:// blueeyedlamb . blogspot . com **Just take out the spaces. I have already posted some pictures and I have a few teasers up. I will continue to go that route. I will not only update you all on "You Found Me" progress…but my other stories as well. As always, come follow me on twitter (link in profile).**

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own.**

**A/N: This went a bit differently then I intended…but Edward is just so yummy and horny. All. The. Time. So here is Edward. Did anyone see Kanye West at the VMA's? A huge douchebag for what he did to Taylor Swift. Learn some manners and class! **

--

Ch. 12

EPOV

When Alice came strolling into the kitchen on Wednesday morning asking for a ride to school, I asked the obvious, "What about Bella?"

"She's sick. So you're taking me," she stated simply.

I immediately became worried about her. I tried to stay nonchalant while talking to my sister, "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know Edward. She didn't want to stay on the phone long. She just sounded really tired. Can you _please_ be helpful for a change and get homework for her in your shared classes?"

I decided to ignore her rip into me. After agreeing to get homework, we set off to school. The students were finally getting over the fact that Bella was around, though the male population still wanted to get with her. Trust me, I should know…the locker room talk before and after P.E. can be brutal when the topic is the girl you're secretly pining over.

By the time third period ended, the halls were buzzing with renewed vigor about Bella's absence. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the stupid children and their childish gossip.

I can't even begin to list the rumors that began to float around about Bella. Lauren took advantage by spreading that Bella got pregnant by some guy in Port Angeles and fled because she was ashamed. All I can say is that I can't wait to see how Bella reacts to that one. I'm sure Lauren's nose job will be for nothing in the end.

The day went along much the same way; our lunch table was bombarded with inquires on where Bella was. I got the requested homework from our classes…but there wasn't a lot of it. I couldn't help the sigh of relief as the final bell broke out and cut off the teacher's incessant babbling. I practically ran to my car, nodding towards Alec and Jake on my way. Alice was skipping around my fucking car while on the cell phone.

Just as I was approaching she hung it up.

"Do you ever stand still?" I inquired as I clicked the 'unlock' button to my car.

"Shut up," she bit back.

"Who were you talking to?" As soon as I pulled out of the parking lot I floored the escalator, causing Alice to squeal a little bit.

"You better not kill be dickhead. And it's not your business who it is. But I need you to do something for me…" she trailed off.

"What…" I groaned.

"Take Bella over her homework. I have to run out for a little bit and won't be back until later tonight. Please." She jutted out her bottom lip in a mock-pout, widening her eyes in the process.

"You are kind of conniving…but sure." I sighed, running my hand roughly through my hair.

We were silent the rest of the way home. I pulled into the garage and a folder was thrust into my hands before I even shut my door.

Alice practically ran into the house and was running back out by the time I got to the door.

"Be good!" she called out before jumping into her VW Bug. It was a candy apple green with black interior. I remember when she pulled into the drive-way with Carlisle the year before, claiming it was 'made' for her. Which it honestly did when she was behind the wheel.

I ran into the house to drop off my messenger bag before making my way next door. I was pretty nervous about seeing Bella. The last time I was near her house we at least had people around.

I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed just her car in the driveway. If the Chief was home he would probably shoot off my junk for simply being within close proximity of his daughter.

After what felt like forever, she finally opened the damned door. Her deeply hooded eyes and messy bed hair sent images straight to my dick. And then I looked passed her face…

Holy shit.

Bella in a tight shirt and boy shorts was seriously a wet dream come true.

--

I was pretty much on a high…natural that is…from spending the afternoon with Bella. We got on surprisingly well; she was the first girl in a long time that I could carry an intelligent conversation with.

The rest of the night went on without much fanfare. I tried calling Jasper but I just got his voicemail. I _never _got his voicemail. I pondered what he must be up to until I managed to fall asleep that night.

Bella returned to school the next day looking just as tired as she did the day before. We didn't talk much besides in class. As another week passed, she became more withdrawn from everybody. I began to wonder if the connection I felt that day at her house was one-sided. The thought made my chest ache, so I quickly pushed it from my mind.

It wasn't until almost two weeks after I had been to her house when I got the chance to join in a conversation with her besides school. We were all sitting at our usual lunch table; Lauren had been successfully ridiculed by Bella that morning after the rumor had finally circulated around enough for Bella to hear it. Needless to say that it was the talk of the cafeteria and our table was pretty keyed up about it. The only one that was quiet happened to be Jessica, but she was closest to Lauren so known of us were surprised.

I looked over to Bella who was the center of attention again. She had a slight flush to her ivory cheeks, making them look even softer then they already were (since I had the pleasure of feeling them at her house). For the first time in weeks she had a twinkle in her eye that had been missing.

That led my mind off to my current favorite fantasy of Bella and me in my bathroom. We were standing in front of the full length mirror, our eyes locked on one another's through our reflections. Her hair was down in soft, loose curls. I lifted my hand, her eyes immediately attaching to the movement of it. I slide it slowly through the locks, cupping the back of her neck. I guided her head to lean to the left, opening up the expanse of her throat to me. It was long and graceful, only perfection for my girl. Without giving it much thought, I lowered my nose to the base of her neck and dragged it clear up to her ear. She smelled of honey and vanilla. I flicked my tongue out to gentle take her ear lobe into my mouth, nibbling on it gently. She immediately let out a low moan; it was raw and full of need. The sound went straight to my dick…

"…right Edward?" Alice's voice broke me out of my musings. I jerked to look at her, in which she and Bella were staring at me with curious looks.

I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. My daydreaming caused me to have a painfully hard erection in the middle of the damned high school cafeteria. "I'm sorry…I didn't hear what you said."

"What were you thinking about?" Alice said suspiciously.

"Nothing," I said sharply. Alice continued to glare at me as Bella took on a wistful look, a blush creeping into her cheeks yet again. _Definitely not helping my _problem_._

"Whatever you say. _Anyways_, like I was _saying…_Emmett, Rose and Jazz are coming home this weekend. Esme and Carlisle are going to Lake Tahoe for a medical conference. This equals the perfect opportunity to throw a party at the house. Bella and I were just discussing different ideas before we noticed your space cadet move."

"You wanna throw a party?"

"Yes. It would be hosted by Bella and me. She threw some amazing ones back in Arizona. Right Bells?" Alice said, turning to face Bella.

"Um…I guess." She looked how I felt…flustered.

"What about your dad?" I asked.

"What about him?"

"Well he will be right next door. I can't imagine him being overly thrilled that his daughter is co-hosting a huge high school party that will most likely involve alcohol and other…um...activities," I coughed the last part.

She straightened up and had a look of determination on her face. "He is going to be gone Saturday night for an overnight camping and fishing trip. So we are good to go."

"Well then I guess you are going to be having a party. Let me guess…you want me to help spread the word?" I inquired.

"That is exactly it. Your fan club are the biggest mouths on campus…take that as you will. So just drop it into one of their small brains and sit back, relax and watch your magic spread," Alice said with a devilish smirk.

"You kind of scare me a little bit shorty. But I will do it," I said.

--

I had just gotten home and in the process of heading upstairs to my bedroom for the evening when there was the clearing of a throat from behind me. Whirling around, I noticed that it was Esme with her arms crossed and a small smile playing on her lips.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Upstairs?"

"I don't think so. What day is today?" she continued.

"Wednesday…" I trailed off, wondering where she was going with this.

"And what do you usually do on Wednesday and Friday afternoons?"

I rolled my eyes and came back down the stairs. "Do I really have to go and talk bullshit with some stranger with a degree?"

"Yes. Now get going or your going to be late." She pointed towards the garage door before continuing on her way towards the kitchen.

I stomped back out to my car and floored the accelerator as I left the property. I made it up to Port Angeles in record time, blasting the hardest bass music I could find on my iPod. I hated therapy with a passion, but I only did it because it seemed to put Carlisle and Esme at ease. They put up with so much and I felt bad _not _doing it.

I pulled into the adjacent parking structure. The therapist office was nestled into a cluster of offices for plastic surgery, dentistry and chiropractic…a one-stop shop for all things health.

I was mentally preparing myself for the mind-numbing boredom that usually came over me in my hour sessions. I grabbed for the entrance door, pulling it towards me, when I felt another person collide with me who was coming out. I instinctively let go of the door and grabbed the person's shoulders, steadying them from falling.

I heard a low, female gasp come from the other person. I looked down and almost lost my breath at who it was.

"Bella?" I whispered, still holding her upper arms tightly.

"W-What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously, trying to avoid eye contact with me.

"I should be asking you the same thing…" I trailed off.

"Umm…I was…just…umm," she rambled.

"Take a deep breath girl. You're going to hyperventilate." She did as I asked and seemed to calm down slightly.

"Why are you here?" she asked again.

"I'm here to see my therapist…" I mumbled, looking at my shoes.

"You too?" she breathed.

"Why are you seeing one?"

"Charlie is making me. Look…I'm really shocked to run into you right now. I didn't want everyone knowing that I am a fucking basket case and had to seek out outside help. Can you please let me go?"

"Oh. Sorry." I released her and stepped back slightly. "I won't say anything. But can I ask why you have to see one in the first place?"

"It's complicated. I'm not ready to talk about it right now…" she said, looking straight at me. So many emotions were playing out in the dark, chocolate colored eyes. She was trying to convey something deeper then her words…asking for me to have patience.

I silently nodded and allowed her to continue walking. I was almost through the door when I heard my name being called.

"Yeah?" I asked, popping my head outside the door to see Bella still standing on the sidewalk.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good session." She smiled slightly before almost running towards the parking area.

As I walked up to Dr. McPherson's office, my head was clouded with all things Bella. She was definitely hiding something. I fully believed that Alice knew about it, but she would probably protect the secret with her life. I sighed in frustration because this girl continued to be shrouded in mystery to me…which only fueled my insane pull towards her. All I knew was that I was going to find out everything I could about her…even to just help her not to feel so alone.

--

**A/N: Let me know what you thought. I believe we will be having that party next chapter. What is gonna happen? It will be good. Go check out my blog. I post pictures, updates, teasers and story reccs. Link is in my profile. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns the characters. I own the plot/storyline. **

**A/N: Sorry for the longer then usual lull between updates. RL has been pretty hectic lately, so I am hoping to at least get a chapter out to you every two weeks. This chapter is a big turning point in the story and hopefully an extra long one will help with the delay in updating? Enjoy! Pictures for the chapter are up in my blog. Link in profile.**

--

Ch. 13

**EPOV**

"Edward…" purred a voice in my ear.

I took a long drag off of the joint before turning my head to the blonde and blowing the smoke in her face.

It may have been a shit-head move, but oh well. "What?"

She coughed lightly before plastering on another obnoxious pout. "You've been ignoring me Eddie." She was fucking whining.

"Knock it off Kate. I don't need your bullshit; I'm not in the mood tonight." I glared at her before I went back to the joint. I felt her fake nails slowly creep up my leg, stopping within several inches of my dick. I eyed her suspiciously, daring her to try something. She dug her nails into my thigh before slithering her way to sit on my lap. I rolled my eyes at how she was acting.

It was Friday night and I was up in Seattle hanging with Jasper. We had decided to crash some fraternity party they his sister and my brother were going to. I had hooked up with Kate before and I was starting to regret it. She acted like a whiny girlfriend even though I had made no commitments or promises to her. She knew better then that.

"Hey Cullen! Let's book, I want to get some shit together before we leave in the morning," Jasper called from across the room. I got up, causing Katie to stumble out of my lap. I honestly forgot she was sitting there.

"You asshole! You're just going to leave?" she seethed.

"I wasn't going to fuck you, so get over it. Find some other drunken bastard to smother." I narrowed my eyes at her before turning on my heel and following Jasper out the front door.

We rode in silence back to his dorm. Just as we were pulling into the lot, Jasper spoke up.

"I'm surprised you didn't put up more of a fight to leave. Kate was looking mighty cozy on your lap."

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "I'm not in the mood…"

"Or you can't get a certain brunette out of your system," he offered.

"That too," I admitted. "But I am really starting to _not_ want her out of my system. I _want_ to see what would happen if I made a move."

"Have you talked to Bella much since running into her on Wednesday?" he asked.

I had trusted Jasper with her secret. He swore up and down that he would feign ignorance. After departing in Port Angeles two days prior, Bella had pretty much avoided me. Of course it could also be the party planning that my sister has her knee deep in. My word of mouth to the losers at the high school did the job and we were expecting almost all upper-classmen to show up.

"I haven't said more then two sentences to her…even though we have almost half our courses together."

"She is probably still shell shocked for running into you at therapy. Obviously she was trying to keep a secret."

Before I could answer, a loud noise broke out within the confines of my car. I looked down into the cup holder and noticed it was Jasper phone. Normally I wouldn't have paid it any mind but I found myself staring at my sister's smiling face.

"Is that my sister's picture on your phone?" I exclaimed, finally finding a spot in the crowded residence lot.

"Umm…maybe." Jasper quickly picked up the phone and stared at it in wonder. After I managed to turn the car completely off, I turned towards him with a glare.

"What the fuck is my sister doing calling you?"

"How am I supposed to know…maybe it's about the party?" he asked in the form of a question. He flipped open the phone and put it to his ear.

"Hey…" he trailed off. "We just left the party…no I didn't know…should I get her something?...Okay, I don't need to suffer the rath of Bella…I can't wait either…yeah he is sitting here…Nope…Alright, see you tomorrow."

He answered in rapid succession and flipped his phone closed before getting out of the car. I followed his lead and tried to sort out what the conversation was about.

"What did she want?" I finally settled on. _Shakespeare I am not._

"Just wanted to give me a heads up that Bella's birthday is tomorrow and that the party was also a birthday celebration too. I have a feeling Bella won't be too thrilled."

"Fuck. It's her birthday?" I mumbled. My mind raced ahead to something that I could give her.

"Don't think about getting her anything. I guess she hates attention and getting gifts."

"And yet Alice is going to surprise the shit out of her in front of the whole high school?"

"She'll be fine Edward. Quit acting like a girl."

Conversation turned to lighter subjects but my mind still stayed on Bella. I really wish I had known it was her birthday…even though I had no claim on her; it still made me feel like shit.

***

**BPOV**

So far my birthday sucked.

Alice had me up at the crack of dawn. I had to deal with a warning from Charlie.

"_I wasn't born yesterday Bells. I know that it will be un-chaperoned and I am sure other things will be going on that I just don't want to know about. So please just be careful and don't get yourself into trouble."_

I was a bit taken aback by his willingness to let the party happen even though he knew about it. I told him everything would be fine and that I was spending the night with Alice anyways…so at least I wasn't going to have to wander home alone in the middle of the night.

Charlie passed me a few wrapped packages that I opened almost immediately with my face fully red. A new stereo set for my iPod, a giftcard to Macy's (I would have to go to Seattle for that) and another giftcard to Barnes & Noble. I guess he didn't do too badly for doing it all himself.

After I thanked him and grabbed my overnight bag, Alice and I were off to get her house set-up for the night's festivities.

--

Five hours later I heavily flopped onto one of the oversized sofas in the Cullen's living room. I was completely sweaty and in desperate need of a shower. Alice had me running around the entire main floor and basement of the mansion…hanging decorations and placing strategic trash cans and bowls for snacks. If she thought that people were actually going to use the garbage cans for anything other then puking…she was in for a rude awakening.

I wasn't supposed to be resting. Alice was currently down in the basement sorting through DVD's that could be played on the home movie theater. That room was going to be seeing plenty of making out among other things.

After a few minutes of catching my breath and downing a water bottle in one gulp, I rose from the couch and stretched my tired limbs. I was supposed to be dusting the surfaces of the main floor even though they were already immaculate. As I got to work, a song with a nice beat blared throughout the house that got my hips moving. I couldn't recognize the song but it was nice to have something make the work less mundane.

Just as I finished up in the dining room I heard loud laughter coming from the front of the house just before the front door was practically thrown open. I peered around the corner just in time to spot Emmett strut into the house and bellow, "Bitches, I'm back! Let the party begin!"

I rolled my eyes and walked into the foyer. He didn't even let me say anything before I was engulfed in a huge hug. I squeezed back because I really did miss him.

"Put her down you Neanderthal!" barked a female voice from behind us. He released me and we both turned to see Rosalie walk through the door in her glorious way.

"You don't want to be hugging me anyways; I'm kind of gross right now." I motioned towards my cut-off shorts and tank top.

"I don't give a shit about that…a sweaty girl is a turn-on anyways." He nudged me, causing me to roll my eyes again. "Happy Birthday by the way."

I groaned. "Thanks Emmett, but please don't make a big deal out of it."

"But you're a legal adult now! That's got to get you a little excited."

I just shook my head when I heard more voices from the entrance. My eyes instantly connected with green; Edward was back. And I am not going to lie when I felt my heartbeat pick up in pace at the sight of him. I felt even plainer in my work clothes in his presence.

"Are you playing Cinderella for the day Ms. Bella?" Jasper's voice rang out.

I turned to him and offered a smile. "No. That little tyrant Alice has had me on my hands and knees all day…on my birthday!"

"I thought you didn't want to make a big deal out of it?" Emmett inquired.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I don't. But I also don't want to be doing all this shit."

"What time is everyone getting here?" Edward asked.

"I'm guessing after eight. You all may want to go ask Alice if she has any jobs for you. She was muttering something about firewood and stuff for the grill."

The group dispersed to their respective places in the house. I had barely said anything to Edward, mostly because I didn't know what he was thinking since we ran into each other after my therapist session.

I was still slightly mortified that of all people, Edward was the one to open that door and find out one of my secrets. The only person besides Charlie that knew about it was Alice and I knew she wasn't going to tell anybody.

At school he seemed to be distant; never making eye contact and leaving a respectable distance between us during Chemistry. I was curious to why he had to have a therapist…from the outside he lead a pretty privileged life with dedicated parents. But maybe looks could be deceiving; I knew only too well how that was.

Hopefully the party was some kind of turning point for us. Maybe we needed a fun environment to break the tension that seemed to have been circling us since we had met again.

--

I was going to kill Alice. No joke. She would not _stop_. I swear she had stock in Starbucks and we needed to get her away from caffeine. Stat.

It was now just after seven and the music was loud downstairs. Everything was in place. Edward had gone into his parents' stash of alcohol and now the kitchen island was sporting a wide array of colorful bottles.

As instructed by Alice, I slipped on my matching black bra and panties set. She had slyly put together an outfit for me, which I took reluctantly when I found that she had hidden my overnight bag. I slid into the form-fitting skinny jeans and the flowing black cami that I had never seen before. I knew I looked good; I was dressed by Alice afterall.

Almost two hours prior, she had dragged me from a pool game with Edward, Rosalie and Jasper to get showered and become Alice's 'life-sized Barbie doll.' So a shower, too many hair rollers and bobby pins later…I was ready for the first party of the year. I slipped on the red Mary Jane style pumps to complete the look. Alice had set my now curly hair into a loose french-twist, allowing for curls to randomly frame my face and neck. My bikini waited on her bed for later; having an indoor pool had major advantages in Washington.

"Come out Bella! I know you're ready…" Alice's voice called from the other side of the door. She had been ready for almost an hour.

With one last deep breath, I opened the door where the music was suddenly much louder then before. Alice and Rosalie both stood on the other side, amused looks on their faces.

"You've done good Alice…really good," Rosalie said. I felt a slight blush creep on my cheeks as I brushed passed them to head towards the staircase. Alice didn't let me get very far when she linked her arm with mine, continuing towards the stairs.

We stopped at the top step, giving us an excellent view of the foyer. The door was wide open and people were spilling in. The music caused bodies to begin to move to the rhythm. Emmett and Jasper were monitoring who came through the front door with beer bottles in their hands. I silently thanked to whatever power that my birthday was kept strictly between the few of us that knew. I really didn't need it announced to all of these strangers.

Alice nudged me down the stairs. I felt Rosalie behind me, fixing a few of my curls that were on my neck. We had just reached the bottom step when there was a loud whistle. We all looked to find that it was Emmett, whom finally noticed that we entered the room.

"Damn! My girls are sexy tonight!" he bellowed, causing people to turn and look at us. He pushed his way through and pulled Alice and I both into one-armed hugs. After he was through with us he set his sights on Rosalie, whose lips were now suctioned to his own.

We left them to their antics and made our way to the kitchen. I was in a slight daze over how many people actually showed up. Some seemed to not even be in high school. A shot glass was shoved into one of my hands and I looked down at the dark liquid and then to Alice.

"Let's toast to a fun night with our friend Jack." She saluted me and held the glass up to her lips. She waited until I did the same. At the same time we threw our heads back and allowed the bitter tasting liquid to run down our throats. I immediately felt my throat and cheeks warm from the after effects. It hit the right spot.

Rosalie joined us soon after and we did one more shot with her. Alice tugged on my elbow, leading me out to the pool area. The place was strung with white lights and the overhead lighting was set in a lower tone. People were already taking advantage of the warm pool and makeshift dance floor off to the side.

Alice murmured something about needing to find someone, thus leaving me alone. I made my way over to a table and grabbed a Bud Light out of the cooler. As I turned around I ran right into another person.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed as I turned completely around…only to find that it was Mike Newton. He was wearing nothing but swim trunks and he was entirely too tanned for the current locale. On top of that he had a shit-eating grin on his face as if he had won the lottery.

"Hey there Isabella. Aren't you looking foxy tonight." I raised my eyebrow at the word 'foxy'. How very white-boy of him. "I just wanted to say happy birthday."

"H-how…what…when did you…" I stuttered. Nobody knew except the Cullen's!

He motioned to the other side of the pool, partially obstructed by a large plant. It was a long table filled with gifts, a designer looking cake and a big banner that read 'Happy 18th Bella!"

I was going to kill Alice. Hadn't I already said that once tonight?

"Excuse me Mike. Have a good time." I slipped around him before he had a chance to react and stomped outside towards the fire-pit. I saw a group surrounding the bar and fire…and as I got closer I noticed that Alice was sitting on the arm of the chair Jasper was currently occupying while the rest of the gang mingled. I marched down the steps and was in front of Alice almost instantly.

"Why did you do that!" I seethed.

"Do what?" she asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me. Why is there a fucking huge banner with my name and 'happy birthday' in the same sentence?"

"Calm down Ms. Bella. This is your first one back with us and they just wanted to do something nice," Jasper chimed in while subtly scooting forward in his chair to where he was half covering Alice from me.

_Was he trying to protect her?_

"I specifically told you that I didn't want a big fuss. This was supposed to be a party for all of us."

"And it still is, but we decided to make a special section for you," Alice said.

I glared at her before chugging the rest of the beer in my hand. I suddenly felt the need to get thoroughly wasted.

"I told you she wouldn't like that," came a velvet voice from behind me. I turned and noticed Edward was sitting in another chair almost adjacent to Jasper and Alice. He was looking up at me with what appeared to be concern.

"Shut up Edward. Bella, did you honestly think I was going to ignore my best friend's birthday?" Alice said standing up.

"You should have told me. I am just going to pretend its not there. Tell everyone to cut the cake when they want some…no singing will take place."

"But what about your gifts?" she said with a small pout playing on her lips.

"I will open them…but tomorrow. Okay?" I thought I gave a diplomatic response and hoped she didn't push it.

"Fine," she said in a resigned tone.

I turned and plopped down in the seat next to Edward. Emmett appeared next to me with another beer. I mumbled my thanks before taking a large swig from the bottle.

"Hey Bella," Edward whispered. I looked at him and his eyes were twinkling from the fire light.

"Hey."

"You look really nice tonight…I meant to tell you that earlier when you first came downstairs, but you disappeared before I could get to you."

"Um. Thanks. You look good too." And he did. He wore what appeared to be a hunter green fitted t-shirt and dark washed jeans. It was kind of nice to see him dress without the leather jacket.

He leaned a little closer, causing his chair to scratch a little against the pavement. "Sorry this was sprung on you. I tried to tell her to at least warn you."

"It would have been nice. When you have Mike Newton practically drooling on you and be the first to wish you a happy birthday…it just isn't right." I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from my throat. Clearly the alcohol was starting to take effect.

A dark look crossed his features before it quickly disappeared. "Newton's an idiot. If he bothers you again, come find me."

Before I could respond Alice was pulling me out of my seat. "Let's go dance!"

I looked back at Edward as I was pulled up the walkway to the pool area. His brow was heavily furrowed as he blankly watched us walk away.

--

**EPOV**

Why did I have to be a fuckin' mute when it came to her? I was trying to work up the courage to ask her if she wanted go somewhere private to talk when my sister had to interrupt. _Of course. _I had decided weeks prior that Alice was a major cockblock…in fact, I was almost certain she reveled in doing it.

I had to refrain from jumping down everybody's throat in defense of Bella. Hanging a huge ass banner over the pool along with a cake and presents? Come on…that is practically throwing the poor girl under a bus.

Thankfully Bella calmed down enough to appear to semi-enjoy herself again. I am sure the alcohol was helping that right along.

After the girls left Jasper, Jake and I decided to go to the basement for a quick game of pool. As we came down the stairs however, we quickly decided against it. Apparently the pool table was going to be used as a bed for some horny fuckers.

"Dude. Get the fuck off my pool table!" I bellowed. The sound of my voice startled the couple…who I didn't even recognize. They quickly scooted off the table and mumbled apologies before running upstairs to the main level. I was glad that I locked my room beforehand…last thing I needed was to find someone like them going at it on my bed.

"I think I'd rather skip that game guys," Jake said.

"Yeah," Jasper and I said at the same time.

We made our way back up the stairs and into the pool area. The makeshift dance floor was crowded with swaying bodies. I immediately laid eyes on Bella. She was to the side with Alice and Rosalie, right next to the large glass walls.

I looked around and noticed that Jasper had made his way over to them…and so did Jake. I watched for a moment as he wrapped his arms around Bella from behind, causing her to jump in surprise. My hands immediately clenched into tight fists as she leaned backwards to see who it was.

I was silently begging her to move away from him when he began to rock them to the beat and whispering in her ear. My jaw clenched and I was instantly fueled with jealousy.

The song was just beginning to end and I began to turn around with an air of defeat. He had beaten me to her. Before I could become even more pathetic, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.

I turned back towards the group, noting that Jasper was dancing with my sister and Emmett had shown up. But that didn't hold my attention when I noticed that Bella was rigid in Jacob's arms with a look of rage on her face.

She seemed to be trying to move away from him but his grasp was too tight. I found myself moving over to them without my approval.

"Let me go Jacob," she whispered harshly.

"C'mon Bells. You know your dad would love for us to get together," he practically whined. Yes, _whined._

"I will only ask nicely one more time. Please let me go." She looked down to the floor, staying perfectly limp.

"Jake, man. Listen to the lady. I think you've had a bit too much to drink," I said.

He looked up with narrowed eyes towards me before confusion settled in. He looked between the two of us several times before he dropped his arms.

"Sorry Bella. I guess I did drink too much." And for the first time I did notice that he wobbled a bit on his feet.

Alec just happened to be walking by when I grabbed his arm. I quietly asked him to either take Jacob home or settle him in one of the downstairs guest rooms. He didn't need to be making Bella more uncomfortable then she already was.

Once they walked off I turned back to Bella. She was still looking at the floor and had her bottom lip sucked between her teeth. I absentmindedly licked my bottom lip because the habit was pretty damn tempting.

"Hey. Are you okay?" I asked, gently grasping her shoulder.

She made eye contact with me for the first time and I was glad to see that there was a look of relief behind them. "Yeah…thanks for that. He was being too aggressive."

"Why don't we get you another drink?" I offered. She nodded and motioned for me to lead the way. I grabbed her hand lightly within my own and guided her back to the kitchen.

"Pick your poison," I said motioning to the center island.

She looked to be debating between several when she said "a slippery nipple."

"A what?" I asked dumbly.

"It's a shot. Baileys and butterscotch schnapps." She held out two separate bottles as I grabbed two clean shot glasses out of a cabinet.

I set them down in front of her and watched her diligently pour the Bailey's halfway up the glass before unscrewing the schnapps and filling the glasses all the way to the rim.

We held them up and I mumbled "happy birthday" which caused her to blush. I threw it back and felt the wonderful warming sensation from the Bailey's.

"So what did Jacob say to get you upset like that?" I asked, leaning my back against the counter.

"He was being too grabby with me and then insinuated that we could go back to my place and I could rock his world. And that he was the only guy that wanted to fuck me."

My jaw had gone slack. I was going to kick his ass.

"I know that look Edward. Just leave it be. You said it yourself that he wasn't himself. Alcohol can make you say stupid shit."

"Sorry he said that. But you have to know that isn't true, right?" I asked.

"That he was the only one that wanted-." I quickly cut her off.

"-to fuck you. Yes. That is complete bullshit."

She just looked at me for a long moment before smiling a little. It was better then the frown.

"Would you like to dance?" I asked.

"Um, sure."

I grabbed her hand again and guided us out to where our friends were still dancing. Another song was just starting up over the speakers. It had a slower, more intense beat to it.

Bella faced me and wrapped her arms tentatively around my neck. I had to stoop slightly because of the height difference (though her fuck-me heels were definitely helping with that problem). My hands came to rest on her hips and I brought her body closer to mine. We began to sway to the beat, our eyes never leaving one another's.

--

**BPOV**

The song seemed to fit our odd chemistry. It was almost like a slow burn coming from within, threatening to take over completely.

I continued to stare up into his hooded green eyes, almost passing out from the intensity. Slowly I turned in his arms so that my back was now flush against his chest. I felt him run his nose through my hair before finally feeling his hot breath on my neck. My hands rested on his arms, which were now placed around my stomach.

"I have been waiting for this." He said it so low that I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly. I pushed myself further into him, rocking my hips in sync with his. I leaned my head back and looked up at him. He stared back down, his eyes twinkling once again. I gave him a soft smile before I broke eye contact.

Eventually I turned back around and pulled him once again flush against me. A slow song started and he placed both hands on the small of my back. I rest my head on his chest and he rested his chin on top of my head.

"Bella?" he asked.

"Hmm."

"Once the crowd dies down a little…would you want to take a swim?" He sounded so nervous. A far cry from the tough exterior.

I pulled my head away from him and saw that he looked anxious again. "Sure."

We danced a few more songs before being pulled apart by Alice. She pulled me over to the cake which was half eaten.

"I wanted to make sure that you at least got a piece!" she defended before I could even utter a word.

I noticed that Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Edward, Alec and a few others gathered around the table.

"Happy Birthday Bella. We will keep it quiet, but just know that we are glad you are with us now," Jasper stated.

"Thanks…" I knew that I was blushing horribly.

We cut cake and went outside to eat in front of the fire. The house started emptying out around midnight, something I was highly thankful for.

Alice and Jasper disappeared together (I was definitely going to having a talk with her in the morning). Of course they didn't go unnoticed by Edward, but he chose to stay quiet for the time being. Rosalie and Emmett soon followed.

When it was just us two left, Edward stood up and motioned towards the house with an eyebrow raised. Swim time.

We parted ways as he made his way up to his floor and I walked to the guest room across the hall from Alice's room. I could hear giggling coming from behind her door and quickly scooted my way into my room. Thankfully Alice had moved my bikini and other things before locking herself in with Jasper. I slipped the suit on and grabbed a towel out of the attached bathroom.

I made my way down to the pool when I instantly noticed that the lights had been lowered to a soft dull and the twinkling lights were still on. I stepped out and closed the kitchen door behind me.

I looked around the empty space and my eyes settled on Edward. His back was turned towards me, only in his swim trunks. I had never seen him without a shirt and his back muscles rippled under his skin as he fiddled with his iPod on the speaker system.

Soft notes began to fill the room as I made my way over to him. He tensed slightly as if he felt me behind him before he turned to face me.

I couldn't control my eyes as they traveled from his messy, bronze hair all the way down to his feet. He obviously took care of himself if the abs were any clue. His skin was slightly tanned, but not in an unnatural way.

"Wow." I looked up at him immediately, afraid that he heard me. He was doing the same to me apparently when a crooked smile broke out onto his face.

"I should be saying that. Jesus. That's what's hiding under your clothing?" he said with a tone of awe.

I gave a small laugh, shaking my head as if to clear it.

"Shall we?" I asked, pointing towards the pool.

He nodded and I dropped my towel next to his on a lounge chair. I turned my back to him and slowly made my way over to the edge of the deep end. I was just about to dip my toe into the water to test the temperature when I was grabbed from behind and was suddenly air born.

Luckily I had enough sense to hold my breath as my head went under the water. I felt the strong arms still wrapped around my midsection, pushing us back up to the surface.

As soon as my head was above the water, I gasped for breath. Edward still held me tight to him, not allowing me to flail around.

"What the hell Edward!" I said with a hint of anxiety in my voice.

He let me go and I immediately swam over to the edge of the pool. A hand grasped my wrist, turning me completely around…my back colliding with the wall.

"Don't get out," he said quietly.

"I wasn't going to, I just need to regroup." He let go of my wrist and scooted closer to me, trapping me against the wall.

"I couldn't resist. You looked too tempting not to do that," he said sheepishly.

I playfully slapped him on the chest. He rubbed it in mock-pain…trying to get a rise out of me.

I rolled my eyes but instantly froze as my eyes connected with his again. The music was still playing softly in the background and the lights were twinkling above us.

He began to move his head closer to mine and I felt myself do the same. He stopped when our lips were about an inch apart, still maintaining eye contact.

"Can I finally kiss you Bella?" he asked in a rough voice…as though he was trying to control his emotions.

I nodded before he broke the distance by crashing his lips with mine. Suddenly a switch went off and I couldn't control my body. My hands grabbed for his hair, taking fistfuls of it, effectively driving him closer to me. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pushed me further into the wall.

I tilted my head a little more to the side to allow better access to him. I felt his tongue glide sinuously across my bottom lip, silently asking for entrance. I parted my own lips slightly to allow him, immediately groaning when I felt his tongue on mine. We continued like that for another minute before I had to pull away and gasp for breath. He continued to kiss along my jaw and nip down my neck. He ended up at my right ear, nibbling on the lobe.

"So beautiful," he groaned. I instantly felt the shivers run down my spine.

"Edward…" I managed to squeak out. He didn't answer but reconnected with my lips once again.

I pulled away slightly, pissed at myself for even thinking of stopping this insane force against my body.

"Edward."

He immediately stopped and pulled back slightly to look at me.

"I think we have a lot to talk about…"

--

**A/N: Phew…that was a long one. You know what would be a great thank you for this huge chapter? A review! Go click that green button. Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Alrighty folks, here is another installment. Before I let you go read…can I just take the time to say that I love you guys! Thank you so much for all of the reviews (the highest yet for one chapter), all of the alerts…just everything. It means the world to me that you even take the time to read the updates. So thank you! Pictures will be up in blog shortly. Link in profile. **

**Disclaimer: Still don't own the characters. Shame…**

--

Ch. 14

EPOV

Dancing with Bella was an entirely different experience then dancing with any other girl. Her body fell in groove with mine; two puzzle pieces finally coming together.

I knew she heard me when I mumbled that it was about time that something was happening between us. Frankly I wanted her to know…I was tired of hiding these strong urges and emotions. I had done a lot of thinking after running into her up in Port Angeles. I knew I was a stupid fuck to try and deny my feelings for her just because of my 'no touch' rule for high school chicks. She was the exception though…the big one.

I knew, as soon as she was in my arms to dance, that this girl was going to change me…not in just a small way either. The thought that someone had so much control over my life scared the shit out of me. But I couldn't find myself to care. When we swayed to the beat in perfect harmony…her big, brown eyes staring up at me with affection…I knew that I couldn't continue denying myself. Hence why I asked her to swim. Maybe if we finally got a chance to be alone without interruption…we could get to a place that should have happened weeks before.

After the mini-birthday cake exchange and watching my best fiend and sister run passed us…it was time for my moment. Bella and I parted ways at the second floor and I made my way up to my third floor bedroom. Quickly stripping out of my jeans, shirt and boxer-briefs…I pulled the first trunks out that my hands grabbed and slipped them on.

I grabbed my iPod and a towel before making my way down to the pool area again. I had just picked the perfect mood music when I felt the air immediately charge with the energy that only Bella can create.

I turned around, not prepared for what I saw before me. Bella fully clothed was a beautiful woman…Bella in a bikini would become the starring number in my porn-worthy fantasies.

I knew she was checking me out…so I had no problem returning the favor. Her long brown hair was now in a pony-tail, exposing her gorgeous neck. Her skin was beautifully pale and my fingers itched to trail along the soft, smooth skin. Her body wasn't overly toned, but it was soft and womanly. I wanted her to turn around so I could see her sexy ass; it was one of my favorite features on her.

After we mumbled a few sentences, she turned and walked to the pool. I finally got to check out her backside and was not disappointed. The bikini bottoms framed her bottom perfectly. Without giving it much thought, I ran towards her and grasped her by the waste before throwing us both into the water.

I thought at first that I pissed her off, which was why I asked her not to leave. When she reassured me that she wasn't going anywhere, something once again shifted. I leaned in and she mirrored my movements. After being granted access to kiss her, I dived right in.

Her lips were everything I thought they would be and more. Just plump enough to fit perfectly with mine and I groaned from the feel of her breath against my lips. When we finally deepened the kiss, it was a miracle that I didn't do something barbaric at the taste of her tongue on mine.

My mind had gone blank. The music shut out and the lights went dim. All I saw was Bella pushed up against the side of the pool…me pressed into her.

I finally started coming out of the fog when I heard her calling my name. And then the ominous words "I think we have a lot to talk about…"

I shook my head, still trying to clear it. "What do we need to talk about?"

"Everything. We have barely breeched anything deeply Edward."

I knew that was true but I just wanted to keep kissing her…just for a little while longer.

She shook her head as if she read my mind. "Please Edward. I'm not saying this won't happen again."

"We can do it again?" I sounded like an over-excited five year old. Sue me.

The room filled with her bell-like laughter which caused my own. "Sorry…you are way too tempting for your own good."

"You've said that before…" she mumbled.

I pressed back into her, not really caring if she felt my hard-on. "And I am absolutely serious every time. I wouldn't lie to you about something like that."

Her eyes fluttered closed at my close proximity. Both of our breathing picked up as I closed the distance and placed open-mouthed kisses along the column of her neck. Her hands massaged my shoulders lightly before skimming up the sides of my face and into my hair. She gripped it tightly, scratching my scalp with her hands. I pressed my lips further into her skin, trying to stifle a moan. Suddenly her grip pulled my head from her neck.

Our eyes met before she leaned in and gave me a chaste kiss before pulling away. "I believe _you_ are way too tempting. I need to get out of this pool if I am going to keep my wits about me. C'mon."

I allowed her to pull me along behind her out of the pool. I ran ahead of her to grab our towels. The last thing I needed to see was the water cascading down her beautiful body. I did a quick dry off before slipping the towel low around my waste. I watched as Bella ringed out her hair before wrapping the towel tightly around her form.

"How about we change into dry clothes and meet in my room? I promise to be the perfect gentlemen," I offered giving her a Boy Scout salute.

"Sure you will be. But okay. At least we won't be interrupted."

I offered my hand which she seemed to gladly take. We walked in silence and stopped at her door. I looked at her for another moment before leaning down and softly kissing her forehead.

I didn't continue up to my room until she had the door tightly shut behind her.

--

BPOV

I pressed my back to the door trying to calm my ragged breathing.

_Did that just happen?_

Edward's lips. On mine. _Holy Hell. _

I have kissed my fair share of guys…but he takes the cake. Never before had I needed to try so hard to pull away from somebody. He pretty much consumed all of my senses when he was that close.

I pushed myself off of the door knowing that he would be waiting for me. I rummaged through my overnight bag, looking for the pajamas that I had thrown into it.

I finally found what I was looking for and shook them out. Thankfully I had packed white shorts with a brown drawstring along with a matching brown tank top. My usual attire would not go well with the conversation I was going to try and have with Edward.

After throwing them on and pulling my damp hair into a messy bun, I quietly closed my bedroom door behind me and padded up the steps to the third floor.

I had never been up to this part of the house and the hallway was pretty much black. Thankfully I could just make out the sliver of light coming from under a closed door off to the right hand side.

As I got closer to the door I could hear faint sounds of music once again. It sounded like…John Mayer? _Interesting._

I gave a hesitant knock just as the door was practically ripped from its hinges. Because it happened so fast, I took a step back and almost tripped over the heel of my foot. Thankfully Edward grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward into his room.

"Sorry. I kind of figured you were out there," he mumbled.

"You like John Mayer?" I blurted out.

"Um…I dabble in a lot of different genres." He made his way over to his docking system and I noticed he was only clad in black lounge pants. My eyes traveled up his muscular back and let out a small gasp.

He whirled around at the noise and looked at me with confusion. "Everything alright?"

"You have a tattoo?" I walked over towards him, hoping to get to see it again.

"Yeah. I actually have more then one. You didn't notice at the pool?" he asked with his eyebrows raised. My cheeks warmed once again because I had been ogling the rest of him too much to notice the ink.

"What is it?" He turned around so that I could see again. It was an intricate design of a cross in-between his shoulder blades. My fingers ran over it with reverence, his skin breaking out in goose bumps from the contact.

"It's a Celtic cross. I got it mostly because of my Irish heritage and it basically means hope and balance. There was a time in my life when I had neither and I got this to remind me everyday how changed I am."

I continued to trace my hand across the lines before he turned back to me.

"Will you tell me about that time?" I asked.

"When I felt completely lost?"

"Yes."

"Someday. But today isn't that time…and I hope that you will return the favor."

He walked over to his balcony doors and opened them to let the breeze in. I finally remembered that I was in his bedroom, a place that had remained a mystery to me until now.

The walls were painted a blue/grey color with white molding bordering the ceiling and floor. The flooring was dark wood and had throw rugs spread throughout the room. His bed looked to be a king with plush pillows and an even better navy blue comforter. The ceiling housed sporadic resest lighting, which seemed to be have several different levels of brightness based off of the light switch. The entire wall opposite of the bed were shelves of CD's and record albums, along with books and a built in desk that housed a laptop and different piles of papers and books.

And I instantly felt at home.

"You have a lot of music and books," I pointed out, walking over towards his collections.

"It's kind of a hobby of mine. Carlisle travels a lot, so he picks rare finds up along the way for me. So you will find a lot of different things in there."

I turned to look at him. He had lit up a cigarette and was standing outside on the balcony. I made my way over to him, scanning over the dark night. I noticed that his room was angled towards my house. And my room was within view.

"Nice view?" I motioned towards the general area of my balcony.

"No complaints here," he said with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Good answer Cullen."

We stood in a comfortable silence; he offered me a drag from the cigarette, which I graciously took. We continued passing it back and forth until he stubbed out the end.

"Let's go inside, you're starting to shiver." He placed his hand on the small of my back as we made our way back inside.

I noticed that he had a leather chaise lounge against the opposite window from his balcony. I automatically went over to it and took a seat. He followed me and sat before he maneuvered and lounged against the back of it. He pulled me to him, causing me to half stumble onto his stomach. We both laughed, mine was even kind of shy.

I continued to run my hand over the smooth material of the lounger, trying to think of something to say.

"Do you like this?" he asked, motioning to the chaise.

"Yeah. I have always had a bit of an obsession for them. Don't ask me why, but I have always wanted one."

"Hmm. They are pretty comfortable…but fun at the same time," he said raising his eyebrows playfully. I teasingly slapped his chest in response.

We sat there just staring at each other for another silent moment.

"So." He started.

"So." I responded.

God this was awkward.

"What is this?" I asked, motioning between us.

"I don't know. I enjoyed that kiss." He ran his fingers lightly across my parted lips, setting a blaze in their path. "And I feel this intense connection towards you. What about you?

"I feel it too. It's a strange feeling and we barely know each other. I am a different person then I was even three weeks ago, so I don't know how to go about this."

"Different?" he asked.

"Didn't your sister tell you? I was kind of…loose back in Phoenix. I wasn't a whore or anything…even though people called me that. Maybe they _were_ right, but I wasn't known for dating long term."

"Don't say that…" he mumbled.

"What?"

"Don't call yourself a _whore_," he spit out the word as if it were dirty. "And those people were a bunch of pricks that were jealous of you."

"You didn't even know me back then Edward. So you cant say that. You knew of me, but not me."

"That may be true…but it doesn't change the fact that I hate that word in conjunction with you."

I was a bit overwhelmed by his little speech. He continued to hold my eyes in a trance, his deep green eyes piercing into my soul. I suddenly felt naked, even though I had clothes on. Oddly though, I didn't feel the urge to run like in the past. He was different.

"So are you saying you like me Cullen?" I said with a slight smile. Hopefully a little playfulness would lighten the heavy mood.

"I guess that I do. What about you _Swan_?"

"I guess that I do too." I used his words back at him.

He leaned over and gave me a soft, sweet kiss in response.

I looked over to his bedside clock and noticed that it was past three in the morning. I tried to stifle the yawn that broke free, but Edward honed in on it.

"Sleep time?" he asked.

I just nodded, moving from his grasp and raising from the chaise. I stretched because my back felt slightly stiff, causing my tank top to raise a little. I felt his hands skim my hips softly before I felt him wrap his arms fully around me. He leaned into me and kissed my neck. I brought my arms back down and wrapped them around his neck, playing with his hair.

He pressed his face into the crook of my neck, letting out a soft moan. "You need to get some sleep."

"Okay," I said in a rough voice.

He took my hand and opened his bedroom door. We made our way back down the stairs, swinging our hands between us with a new air of excitement.

We stopped in front of the guest bedroom and he drew my hand up to his mouth. He didn't take his eyes off of mine as he kissed each knuckle softly.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" he asked.

"I think so. Why?"

"Would you go out with me? On a date?" He sounded nervous once again. I was slightly taken aback that he was nervous about my response.

"Yes. I would like that very much."

I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before hugging him. Just as I entered my room and turned to close the door, he leaned in and said, "I'll be in touch tomorrow. Keep your phone on."

"Got it."

"Goodnight Bella."

"Night Edward."

I settled into the soft, cool sheets of the bed. The sigh of contentment that escaped my lips could not be helped…and it followed with me falling asleep with a smile.

For the first time in weeks, I slept dreamlessly…the bad dreams at bay for now.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This is the date night. It may seem like a filler chapter, but it is more transitional. I needed to get something established between these two before I can move. I hope you enjoy it! Bella's date outfit can be found up on the blog and I give teasers and story updates on Twitter if your interested in following me (Both links are in my profile). And finally, there is an important A/N at the bottom…please take a moment to read it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns characters. Story idea is mine. **

--

Ch. 15

I was going on a date. A date with the beautiful, mysterious Edward.

I don't usually do this, but ever since meeting Edward it seems that my outlooks were shifting.

My ears were still ringing from Alice's squeals. We had been at my house sorting through some of the gifts she had gotten me when my phone went off.

_I grabbed my phone from the kitchen table, flipping it open to read who it was._

_I about dropped it when I saw that it was Edward._

_I shot Alice a quick look before opening it._

"_Hello?"_

"_Bella? Hey it's Edward." God even his phone voice sounds amazing._

"_Hey. How did you end up getting my number? I spaced last night and didn't give it to you."_

"_Uh. I kind of got it from my sister…" I shot another look her way. She was staring back with wide, innocent eyes. I could see something brewing behind them though…like she was holding back something._

"_Oh. Well that's fine. So how are you?" I turned back to my conversation with Edward._

"_Fine. You?" _

"_Pretty good. So what's up?" I sat back down at the table, fidgeting with the edge of a piece of wrapping paper._

"_Are you still up for doing something later today?" _

"_Yeah. What did you have in mind?" _

"_It's a surprise. So can you be ready by five?" he asked._

"_A surprise huh? Yeah…that's a good time. Do you think you can text me when you are ready and I can meet you out front? You know…with my dad…" I trailed off._

"_Don't say anymore. I understand. I'll give you a heads up. See you later."_

"_Bye Edward."_

"_Oh Bella…"_

"_Yeah?" _

"_As much as I hate to say this…but please wear jeans." _

_  
With that he hung up and I had a permanent smile plastered to my face the rest of the day._

I looked myself over in the mirror one more time and grabbed my coat. Charlie had gotten home a little bit ago and knew that I was going out…just not with who. I knew he didn't like Edward and this night was pretty important to me. So Charlie was going to remain ignorant until it was necessary to inform him.

My phone chirped with a text message from Edward right at five.

_Juliet…I wait for thee, just beyond your castle. –E_

I quirked an eyebrow…trying to hold in my laugh. The phone chirped again.

_I know…corny as fuck. Couldn't resist. – E_

There was the Edward I was looking for.

I made my way downstairs, mumbled to Charlie that I would be home later and flew out the door. The less time I allowed him to say something, the better.

I practically sprinted down the driveway and looked around. My eyes fell first on the beautiful red bike before looking at Edward. He was lazily leaning against it, his arms crossed at the chest. He was wearing his usual black, leather jacket and jeans, but I could just make out the deep red button down underneath. I was secretly hoping he would pull the jacket off at some point tonight.

Making my way slowly to him, I let him appraise my outfit.

"Excited to see me?" he asked with amusement lacing his voice.

"Hardly. I'm excited about the bike." I ran my hand over the smooth surface before I felt him grab my hand.

"You look great Bella." He was doing the intense eye thing again…my cheeks warming in response.

"Thanks. You too."

He handed me a black helmet, which I pulled over my curls.

He started the bike and held out a hand to help me on. Once I was situated, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Any hints on where you're taking me?" I asked.

"Nope. You'll just have to trust me." With that he turned on the bike and I noticed that he didn't put a helmet on just like Jasper.

We roared down the street and through town in record time. I sensed that whatever we were doing would be in or around Port Angeles.

--

"We're going to a baseball game?" I stared at the outdoor stadium, its lights lit up to illuminate the parking lot.

"Yeah. It's the Port Angeles Pirates vs. Sequim Jaguars. Is that…um…okay?" he asked, shoving his hands deep within his jean pockets.

"Yeah. Is it minor league?" I inquired.

"Mmhmm. Are you sure your okay with this? Carlisle had tickets and thought it was a good first date kind of thing."

"No Edward, really. This is great. Here I thought you were going to take me to get a tattoo or something," I said jokingly, nudging my shoulder playfully into his side.

"We can still do that if you want?" he said with a smirk.

"Not tonight. Maybe some other time."

He nodded and hesitantly moved his hand towards mine. I watched as he slowly opened my hand, pressed our palms together and then twined our fingers together. He brought our joined hands up to his lips. I kept steady eye contact with him as he kissed my knuckles gently before giving me a wink.

"Let's get in there. The game start in about twenty minutes," he murmured before dropping our connected hands between us.

He pulled out two tickets at the front entrance and we were quickly scanned in. I hadn't been to a game since before Phil died. This was a bittersweet moment, but I was going to keep it to myself. I was thankful to be sharing it with Edward though.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked as we walked by a vendor.

"Hell yes. It's un-American to go to a baseball game and not get a hot dog and coke."

He gave a hearty laugh before walking up to wait in line. "Then I guess you want a hot dog and coke?"

"Gee…it's like you can read my mind!" I winked at him.

He ordered for both of us and refused to let me pay for my half.

Instead of heading to the higher levels, he guided us to a set of stairs that said "Field Level." An usher asked to see our tickets again before we were allowed down the steps. Once we made it to the section, Edward kept going lower. And lower. We were right up on the field now, directly behind home plate, before Edward stopped in front of two seats next to the aisle. I slipped in to allow him the outside seat and looked around with excitement.

"These are the seats Carlisle had?" I asked.

"Well he donates to the some of the same organizations as the owner of the Pirates. The guy always hooks my dad up whenever he wants tickets. Usually they are in this area."

"This is really awesome Edward. Thank you for thinking of it." I leaned over and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. He had a cocky smirk on his face which caused me to roll my eyes.

We settled into our seats to enjoy the delicious ballpark junk food and the game.

--

The Pirates weren't doing very well…at all. It was the bottom of the seventh and the score was 12 to 2. The groaning in the crowd progressed throughout the game, but it didn't deter my time with Edward.

I didn't realize just how funny and attentive he was. When he let his guard down, it was easy to see passed the façade he put up. Whenever my soda got low, he insisted on going to get it refilled. I stopped him after the second time stating that I would be peeing like a race horse the rest of the date.

The Pirates had just struck out again officially ending the inning. The teams switched out and there was a small lull while they warmed up.

"Bella?" Edward's voice came from just next to my ear. I could feel his warm breath against my ear and neck, causing me to shiver from both pleasure and the temperature change.

"Hmm?"

"Want to get out of here?"

"You're ready to go home already?" I tried to keep the whine out of my voice but I didn't want the night to end yet. It wasn't even nine yet.

"No. I wasn't planning on taking you home yet. I just thought of something else we can do instead of watching this slaughter." He motioned towards the field.

"Let's go. What are we going to do?"

"To get ice cream." He took my hand without hesitation this time and led me out to his bike. We headed towards the center of town and stopped at the local ice cream shop. I ordered a waffle cone with chocolate ice cream while he got a cup loaded with cookie dough and strawberry ice cream.

We ended up sitting outside but thankfully the place thought to have it enclosed with plastic coverings and small heaters placed throughout.

Not much was said as we enjoyed our dessert, only making eye contact and me giggling lightly out of nervousness. The ice cream began to melt a little bit from the heaters and I tried my hardest to keep up with it. My efforts didn't work because some still ended up on the side of my mouth.

I went to wipe it away with a napkin when Edward's hand shot out and stopped me. I looked at him a bit startled but his eyes were fixated on where the ice cream was on my face.

"Edward…" I started.

"Shh," he hissed gently. He leaned in and glanced at me quickly before darting his eyes back to the spot. I closed my eyes out of instinct and felt his tongue swipe across the spot before I felt his lips lightly brush it. My eyes shot open in surprise and watched him lean back with a satisfied smirk.

"Mmm. Chocolate ice cream and Bella…my new favorite flavor," he said in a husky voice.

"I hope I taste better." I winked at him and tried to play off that I wasn't as affected as I truly was.

"Much better." Cue the blush. This caused him to smile wider.

We finished up our ice cream and made our way back out to the bike. Edward checked his watch and noted that it was time to get me home. I reluctantly agreed because it was technically a school night and we still had an hour's drive ahead of us.

I climbed on the bike behind him once again wishing that the helmet was not in my way of smelling up Edward. I had caught the scent of him earlier and I wanted to do it again.

He kick started the bike up and the rumbling broke into the quieting area. I wrapped my arms lowly around his waste and snuggled into his back, enjoying the warmth he was radiating against the chilly night air.

--

The neighborhood was quiet and it was just after eleven. Edward's bike was the only thing to break the disturbance. He pulled off to the side of my drive-way once again so that Charlie didn't see us from the front part of the house.

He turned off the bike and held his hand out to help me off. With a heavy sigh I took it and clamored off.

Before I could turn around, I felt Edward's hands rest lightly on my hips to keep my back to him. He trailed them up my sides in feathery light touches before resting them fully on the helmet. I felt the firm tug before it finally came over my head, my hair falling around my shoulders.

His hands went back to my hips when I felt him moving around behind me. After the movement stopped he pulled me into his chest, wrapping his muscular arms around my stomach. By this point my eyes were rolling into the back of my head. It wasn't that his moves were overly aggressive; they were soft and subtle, which magnified having the feel of his hands on me. I about lost it all together when he swept my hair off of my left shoulder and leaned in to place soft kisses along my neck and collarbone.

"Mmm…Edward," I groaned out before I could stop myself. I felt him smile into the crook of my neck before pulling back and turning me to face him.

I leaned between his spread legs, placing my hands on his shoulders.

"I had a really great time," I said quietly.

"Me too. And I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"I think I can handle that."

I ran my hands through his bronze tresses, marveling in their softness. "I wish you'd wear a helmet. I know I sound just like everyone else…but I just want you safe."

"I'm fine Bella. Nothing's going to happen to me."

We were silent for a moment…I wish he'd figure out that it wasn't always a guarantee.

"Do you want to ride to school with me?" he asked.

"What? I can't drive you?" I teased.

"Maybe another time…"

"You know this will pretty much shout to the world that something is going on between us," I mumbled.

"Is that a problem? Worried about the Chief?" he said, drawing me in closer to him.

"I don't really care about anyone else. We don't even know what this really is yet." I motioned between us to emphasis my point. "And Charlie is difficult only because he has a preconceived image of who think you are. Which isn't a good one…and that makes things difficult."

"How about we just take this slowly. Since it's new to both of us. And we will tell Charlie when the time is right. I won't let you deal with it alone. How does that sound?"

"Thank you…for understanding."

"It's easy when it comes to you. You really are different Bella."

I smiled at him, leaning in to snuggle again. "I guess its time for me to go in. Tell your sister she gets the backseat tomorrow."

"I will. Thanks for a great time."

He leaned in and captured my top lip between his own. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tried to get myself as close as possible to him. His lips were warm and inviting against the night chill and his breath gasped out the smell of the cookie dough he had earlier. I slowly parted my lips and tentatively pushed my tongue towards his bottom lip. He groaned and opened his mouth to meet mine. We settled like that for a few long moments, lost in the sensation of being connected that way.

He was the first to pull away and I couldn't help the pout that took over my features. He laughed lightly before pecking me once more.

"There is more where that came from. See you tomorrow."

I stepped away from his warmth and immediately missed him. I turned around and walked up the drive-way to the front door. Just as I was about to go in, I turned and gave him a small wave. He smiled and turned the bike back on before driving up to his own house.

--

**A/N: The Twilight Fandom has joined together to support a wonderful charity called Alex's Lemonade Stand. This is a charity that helps raise money and awareness about childhood cancer. If you are at all interested in donating please visit ****http://thefandomgivesback(dot)blogspot(dot)com/**** for more information on this cause. As always…just replace the (dot) with the real thing. Thank you! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Happy Halloween everyone! I am shocked that I am getting this out less then a week after posting the last chapter…but I wanted to add a little Halloween time into the mix, hence why it's out by the holiday. Thank you for the alerts, favorites and reviews. You already know now how much I appreciate them. Costumes are up in the blog…go check them out. Link in profile.

**Disclaimer: **S. Meyer owns all the goodies…I own the idea of this plot.

**--**

Ch. 16

The October weather was harsh against the exposed skin of my face and neck. I wrapped the warm coat more tightly around my frame before turning and locking the front door behind me. The leaves on most of the trees were turning beautiful shades of orange and yellow only to eventually fall in graceful wisps to the ground below.

I rushed to the silver car currently idling in my drive way. I wrenched open my door and slide into the heated interior, sighing with relief.

"Easy on the door babe," Edward said from across the console.

I just looked at him as if he were nuts before rolling my eyes. "Hi to you too Mr. Charmer."

He shrugged and leaned over to give me a quick peck on the lips. I turned to the backseat to see Alice immersed in the latest issue of Cosmo.

"Hi Alice. You back there?" I called behind my shoulder.

"Wh-huh?" she stuttered, looking up from the current page.

"You're quiet."

"Just really into this article. Did you know that guys aren't always thinking about sexual things when in the act?" she recited.

Edward burst out laughing. "I can almost guarantee that is complete bullshit. Maybe I am the exception to that statistic, but when I have a nice set of tits in my face…I think of nothing else. It's like fuckin' tunnel vision."

Alice huffed before going back to her article. I leaned over and quietly whispered in his ear, "So if I flash you my boobs, you would crash the car?"

He exhaled a long breath because it seemed to have spiked. "I can almost guarantee that would happen…especially if the view was you."

"I'm going to pretend that my best friend and my brother aren't making sexual innuendos less then a foot away from me," Alice's voice rang from behind me.

"And I'm going to try _really _hard to pretend that my _best_ friend didn't do the walk of shame from my sisters room the day after the party last month," Edward responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

I leaned back in my seat and watched the passing trees fly by, ignoring their banter. Even in the Vanquish, he drove it like he did his bike. Fast and precise. This of course led my mind down the road of naughty thoughts. Edward leaning me over his bike…groping me across the center console in his car…god I was becoming a pervert.

We drove in silence the rest of the way to the high school. When we pulled in the parking lot was crowded as usual, but Edward's spot always seemed open. At least the dimwits at this school new to not cross him…he could be dangerous when he wanted to be.

I hopped out of my side, waiting for Alice to follow. I walked around the back of the car to meet Edward, who threw his arm lightly around my shoulder and drew me into his side. People still stared, but not as much as that first day.

_Monday morning dawned bright through my bedroom window. I soon learned that there was still a strong chill that remained through the day._

_I dressed warmly in a black cardigan, gray tank top, my favorite pair of blue jeans and Chucks. I was too nervous to do much with my hair so I threw it up into a casual ponytail. _

_Just as I was putting some books into my bag, a horn sounded from the front yard. Edward was here. I finished putting my stuff in my bag, turned off the lights and made it out the front door towards his car. Alice was waving manically from the back seat…obviously she had gotten her hands on extra caffeine. Edward had a soft smile on his face as his eyes followed my every movement from the front door to his car. _

"_Morning guys," I said cheerily, sitting in the plush leather seat._

"_Hey Bella! You look nice today, though I wish you would let me dress you more. The weather sucks doesn't it? Even though it's sunny, it has the worst wind. I'm glad I have my hair chopped short; it makes it easier to manage. I could only imagine what yours is like…"_

_Edward and I just stared at each other as she rambled, our eyes growing wide at the capacity of speech she was able to fit in during one breath. _

_Edward turned slightly in his seat and laid his hand gently on her arm. "Alice."_

_She immediately stopped talking and looked at him before a small but sheepish smile crossed her features. "Sorry…I guess I am just extra excited this morning."_

_I marveled at their relationship. Alice was always wound up tightly and not very many people can bring her down from it. Just by one touch, Edward managed to do something in a minute that many couldn't even achieve in hours. I found myself hoping that she was able to find someone that she could be with that had that similar effect. Someone to balance out her intense…erm…passions._

"_It's nice that you're excited…and I am guessing I know why," Edward said softly before giving me a quick smile. "But try not to overwhelm Bella. Okay?"_

"_Got it. Sorry Bells."_

"_It's fine Ali. Let's just get the show on the road." _

_We spent the car ride to school laughing over random songs that came on Edward's iPod. The boy had a wide array of musical tastes, a lot that I had never even heard of before. _

_The parking lot at the beginning of the day, in my opinion, is nothing short of a fashion show and pre-school party. Everyone was hanging out at their cars or up on the sidewalk, huddled in their little clusters of cliques. _

_As Edward parked, I realized that there was really no place that Edward, Alice or I really fit in here. We were all vastly different then someone like Lauren who will probably end up pregnant right out of high school and spend the remainder of her years in Forks. Or like Angela, the thoughtful girl who had dreams to move to New York to pursue a career in the news business. Maybe they saw us the same way._

_Alice gracefully hopped out of the car first, skipping towards the school. Edward and I sat there for a moment, the air was a bit tense. _

"_How do you want to do this?" he inquired._

"_How do you mean?"_

"_Like do you want me to keep my distance or can I touch you?" _

"_Whatever you feel comfortable. I can really care less what these people think."_

_He nodded silently and extracted his keys from the ignition. I watched him open his door and slide out. I took one last deep breath and did the same. He walked all the way around the car and caught my door, holding it open for me. That earned him a small smile as I slung my bag over my shoulder._

_He shut the door once I was fully out of the way before pulling me to his side. I was so caught up in his sweet gesture that I didn't realize that the entire student population in front of the school had fallen silent. _

_I broke eye contact with him and looked around us. Everyone was standing perfectly still, the girls with sneers on their faces and the guys with their jaws almost hitting the pavement. _

"_Well I guess that is the reaction," Edward murmured next to me. _

_He wrapped his arm around my waste, his hand resting on my lower back. We began to walk towards the school, through the crowd._

_Whispers immediately began to break through the stunned silence. My cheeks started warming up and I knew I was blushing horribly. Edward wrapped his arm almost all the way around the other side of me, thus bringing me fully into his side. _

_My eyes made contact with Lauren, Jessica and their little bitch brigade. They had looks of open hostility on their faces, not even trying to hide it. _

_As we walked passed people I heard things like "I thought he didn't date…" or "He turned me down, but went for _her_!" That was the main theme of the remarks. I knew he was sought after and a small part of me felt triumph in being the only girl that he gave the time of day to in this place. _

_We remained the focus of attention throughout the rest of the day and pretty much the rest of the week. I ignored everyone as best as I could, having gotten used to being stared at as the new girl. I only hoped it wouldn't last too long, its not like I was anything special to focus so much attention on. _

Like I said, the attention eventually began to fade even though some of the girls weren't exactly pleasant to deal with. After an incident with Lauren in the bathroom about two weeks after Edward drove me to school, she was less aggressive but still sneered at me whenever we passed each other in the halls. I had a feeling Edward 'talked' to her after he forced me to tell him about the incident…I couldn't be mad at him though, he was only trying to make life easier for me.

We had a very complex set-up going between us. We weren't exactly exclusive…more like kissing friends. We can spend hours talking, but we never touch upon the serious stuff that we both knew lay just below the surface. I didn't want to push him into a relationship…I was content with what we had…for now. My feelings were growing for him everyday, but I still found myself having a hard time admitting those said feelings to him.

We made it to first period just in time. Right after the incident with Jake, Edward had taken to not talking to him much. He approached me after school that day apologizing profusely for his bad behavior at the party. We talked for a few minutes while Edward glared at him about thirty feet away. I eventually said that I forgave him, but that it wouldn't be as easy if it were to happen again. He promised it wouldn't and then proceeded to apologize to Edward as well. Even though things were easier between the two, obviously Edward hadn't completely forgotten.

We sat in our newest seats, which were in the very back of the room.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and he wrapped his hand around mine as we walked into the cafeteria to meet Alice for lunch.

We had just sat down when she began speaking. "I just talked to Rosalie. There is a huge Halloween party going on up in Seattle at her sorority. She invited all of us. Emmett and Jasper will be there too. You in?"

"Bella?" Edward asked, turning to me.

"Well if Charlie doesn't throw a huge fit then I am game."

Alice immediately whipped out her phone and relayed the information to Rose.

"Is that what you're wearing?...Sounds so cute!...He's wearing that?...Perfect, I have things covered on my end! Talk to you soon." She hung up the phone with a new glint in her eye. "I know just what we are all going to wear. Edward, Bella…leave your costumes up to me. No worries."

She abruptly got up from the table and threw away her trash before walking out of the cafeteria doors.

"She's like a fuckin' tornado. I am kind of scared to see what she has picked out for us…mainly me," Edward said.

"You're afraid?" I couldn't help but to laugh. "I'm sorry…I don't mean to laugh, but you're afraid of your tiny sister. I'm actually kind of excited to see what she has picked out for you. Should be good."

"I would be more concerned about yourself. Mark my words Bella, she is dangerous."

I rolled my eyes and bit into my apple.

--

"I don't know about this Bella."

"It's not that big of a deal."

"Maybe not for you, but think of it from my perspective."

"Dad, I am going to be with Alice…and I know you don't like Edward, but at least he won't let anything happen to us. Besides, we will be staying with Rose. So it's not like I will be spending the night in the same place as Edward." Okay…that was a lie. But Charlie didn't know about Edward and me yet, and he definitely wouldn't let me go to Seattle if he did know.

"Alright. But you better have your phone on you at all time. I mean it Bella," he said sternly.

"I know! Have some faith please."

We settled the conversation and I made my way over to the Cullen's. Alice had called earlier that day to have me come over and try on my costume. I didn't even know she had memorized my size…so I was a bit relieved that she wanted to make sure it fit properly.

She answered the door with a flourish in her usual enthusiasm, pulling me toward the stairs almost immediately. I knew not to look for Edward since he had met up with some of the guys in Port Angeles to look at custom bike parts. I was a bit bummed that I couldn't show off my costume to him.

"You aren't going to tell Edward what it is you're going as, nor are you to show him. He won't even get to see his costume until the day of. So feel blessed that you get to see it a week in advance," Alice said.

We walked into her room and I noticed the white garment bag hanging on the back of her closet door.

I was instructed to strip down to my bra and panties while she pulled the outfit out of the bag. I looked it over as it came into view and was impressed.

"Gangster?" I inquired noticing the white outfit with black pinstripes.

"Yeah. Good right? Edward is going to love this idea!" she said as she zipped me into the body fitting outfit. Amazingly it fit to perfection, no alterations needed.

"Are you saying that he is going to be one too?"

"Yep. I decided that we are all going to dress in character with our significant other. Rose gave me the idea. Is that okay?" She asked me as almost an after thought.

"Yeah. That sounds good. But who are you going with and what are you dressing up as?"

I noticed that her cheeks were tinged with a slight pink hue.

"Um. I'm going with Jasper. We are going as a cowboy/cowgirl couple."

"You're going with Jasper. How long has this been going on?" I asked.

"C-can we talk about this another time? It's a bit complicated right now…and to be honest, I don't know exactly what we are," she muttered.

"Alright. But I'm here if you want to talk."

It was a bit uncomfortable only because she didn't know that Jasper and I had briefly entertained the thought of hooking up…but I pushed it away to deal with later. Now wasn't the time.

--

It was Saturday, the day of the party. The three of us had gotten up to Seattle earlier that afternoon, just in time to meet up with Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie for lunch. After we had all gotten caught up we split into girls and guys and went off to our respective locations to get ready.

I had just gotten out of the shower when I got an eye full of Rose in her costume bottoms and nothing else.

"Whoa! Warn a girl next time," I exclaimed.

She started laughing. "Don't be a prude Bella. Go ahead an ogle; I won't hold it against you."

"I think I will leave that job to Em. Where's your top?"

"Right here." She held up the scrap of fabric that was supposed to pass as her cheerleading top. "Just need to pick out the best way to support the girls."

I nodded and went to slip on my white matching bra and thong. The bra pushed my boobs together in just the right way that it would work with the low neckline on the dress.

Alice was already ready in her outfit. Her short hair was set in big curls and her make-up was a black eye shadow with a tinge of red in it. She wore a black and red dress with printing. The bodice was cute in a descent v-shape with a sheriff's buckle bow right where the v-line met. On top of that she wore knee high black boots to finish off the costume.

"You look pretty hot Ali. You planning on riding Jasper bareback in that getup?" I asked, my comment dripping with innuendo.

"Shut it Bell." Her voice tried to sound harsh, but her face was fighting a smile.

She sat me down and blow-dried my hair out so that it was perfectly straight. And then she curled the ends of my strands into loose curls. My make-up was a bit like Alice's apart from the red and she kept my lips a nude with a clear lipgloss.

By the time I had slipped my dress on and placed my matching hat just so on my head, Rose was walking back out of her bathroom.

"Dallas Cowboys cheerleader? It suits you," I said admiring her outfit. She really did look like she could pass as one of the famous cheerleaders. Her blonde hair was big and curly, her make-up perfect with the outfit.

We hopped into Rosalie's car and made our way over to the party. It was in full swing, already spilling out over the lawn.

We wound our way through the crowd in search of the guys. I spotted Jasper first in all of his cowboy glory. Being from Texas, he automatically fit the part to perfection. Next I saw Emmett, wearing his old Forks Spartan football jersey with added pants and padding to complete his costume. His hulking figure finally moved out of the way when he saw Rosalie, leaving me an uninterrupted view of Edward.

_Damn._

I knew that he would be my counterpart in this whole 'couple costuming'…but it was still a shock to see. He wore black pinstripe trousers with shine black shoes. I moved up his body and saw that he wore a nice white Oxford shirt tucked into the trousers, the sleeves rolled expertly up to the elbows. He had a matching black pinstripe vest closed over the shirt and a black hat on that was equivalent to my white one.

He quickly moved towards me and scooped me into a fierce hug. I was a bit taken aback because he had never bee so publicly affectionate to me…but we didn't know anybody here, so maybe he felt differently.

"You look like sin Isabella," he said huskily in my ear.

I felt a shiver run the length of my spine, causing me to gasp silently in surprise.

"Fucking gorgeous," he muttered as he let me go.

"Not too bad yourself tiger. So…get me a drink?" I held my hand out to him, which he took in his.

The bottom floor was decorated in mock spider webs and pumpkins. Music was blaring from huge speakers; the occasional Halloween song came into the playlist. Most of the girls were dressed as complete sluts…not that I had any room to talk. The only difference is they were trying to find a random hook-up, I had my guy already.

I was two beers deep when Edward asked me to dance. We pushed our way through the crowded dance floor and stopped towards the center. Edward pulled me towards him and began to sway us back in forth. His lips began to lip and nip at my neck as we moved together, this time around was much more sensual then when we first danced together.

After a few songs we decided to take a break. We found the other four in a corner laughing loudly. Emmett was telling stories about his rushing at the beginning of the school year. Edward said he was going to go grab a drink and I sat down to listen to Emmett's storytelling. Apparently the frat brothers forced the rushies to smear shaving cream completely over the chests and they had to run through the main school quads chanting the school's fight song. Of course Rosalie and Emmett being who they are had to push it to the next level by writing 'Rose's Bitch' in the shaving cream across his chest.

They had just promised to show me pictures later when I realized that Edward had been gone longer then he should have been. I excused myself and made my way over to the table beside the keg and where other drinks were being stored. I grabbed another cup of beer and looked around, not seeing him anywhere.

I made my way down another crowded hallway and came upon the kitchen. It wasn't too horrible for a bunch of guys living under one roof, but upgrades would probably be convenient. I sat my drink on a side counter to readjust my hat. As I raised my head again I noticed bronze hair underneath a black hat. Attached to that was a woman dressed as catwoman leaning closely into him.

I didn't think and stomped straight over to them. She was whispering in his ear in between breathy giggles, a small amused smile on his face.

"Wouldn't that be great Eddie?…" I heard her say as I came into ear shot.

"Umm…" he started before I interrupted.

"What the fuck Edward!" I yelled directly behind the bitch. My sudden presence caused them both to jump in surprise.

"Bella?"

"No shit. What are you doing with _this_?" I motioned towards the girl.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're the one interrupting us," she replied, taking a step towards me.

"Back off Kate. I told you to step away already. As usual you never listen…"

"Shut up Edward. You didn't look like you were fighting her very much. What happened to just going to get a drink?" I laughed, but it was not a humorous one.

"Are you checking up on me now?" he fought back.

"Screw you. I'm outta here." I turned on my heel and walked away from them. I refused to cry until I was at least out of sight from any spectators. I found the girls and told them I'd see them back at the sorority…luckily it was only a few blocks away and my heels weren't killing my feet for once.

Walking alone in the dark on Halloween was probably a stupid idea. The four beers I had were affecting me more then I had thought, but I ignored my cautious side and stomped down the road.

Fuck Edward Cullen. I didn't need to deal with his cheating ass on top of everything else going on in my life.

**--**

**A/N: **Next chapter we hear Edward's POV. Don't freak out…bear with me. I will try not to keep you waiting for long. And the issue with Jasper and Bella won't be much of one…just a little bump in the road when it's come out. Thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I'm back with another installment! I am really sorry for the long gap between updates…school is once again to blame. Good news, only two and a half weeks until that crazy train is done for a month. Has everyone seen New Moon yet? My count so far is three times…possibly four by the end of the day. Well here it is, I hope it is okay…kind of a transitional chapter, but necessary to get to the next bit of the story.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of this…lucky lady.**

--

Ch. 17

The way I had been living my life the past month was pretty fuckin' different then how I'd been living it before.

Jasper had tried to get me to come up to a few parties but I declined every single one of them. I knew he was getting a bit pissed that I wasn't around too much…and frankly I was still trying to get over the fact that I knew he had something going on with Alice.

I was spending a lot more time with Bella since we had gone on the date. It had gone a lot better then I would have expected, especially since I had literally no idea what to do with her up until an hour before picking her up. Thank god for Carlisle…the guy seriously saved my ass with those tickets.

The only problem was that whatever we were doing kind of came to a standstill. I didn't know what to call us. Friends? We were more then that…hell we kissed all the time. So what, friends with benefits?

I realized I was turning into a fucking girl again over her…dissecting every mood or emotion.

We were careful around the Chief, knowing full well that he hated me. So she usually spent time over at my house under the guise of hanging with my sister. In actuality she was with me. Bella was the first girl aside from Esme and Alice where I let me guard down. We were actually kind of boring…listening to music in my room, raiding Carlisle's library and reading lines from stories back and forth to one another. Yeah, cheesy…but it worked for us.

I enjoyed driving to school together even if that meant Alice tagged along. After she calmed down about Bella and me, she was nice to have as an ally.

After it was announced that we would be going up to Seattle for Halloween, I got nervous because of whom we may run into while at the party.

In fact, I was a bundle of nerves that whole day. They finally dissipated when Bella walked through the front door like a mob princess trying to find her mob prince. _And that was me._

I felt fucking on top of the world with Bella on my arm all night. Even though she was completely oblivious of the attention that she attracted from the opposite sex, I wasn't as lucky. While we were dancing I would look over her shoulder to see guys staring at her unabashedly. I found myself pulling her even closer to me while shooting them warning glares.

After we had our share of dancing, we found the crew sitting off in a corner. I told Bella that I was going to grab another drink.

The selection of drinks at the main table was pathetic. Watered down beer, open bottles of germ infested alcohols spread onto the surface. I grabbed one of the plan red cups and made my way into the kitchen knowing there had to be better shit in there.

After rummaging around I found an unopened bottle of tequila. The only thing I found to mix it with was orange juice.

I had just finished putting the contents away when I felt a set of hands slither their way around my abdomen. At first I thought it was Bella but then I caught the scent of the person. The manufactured smell of raspberries suddenly surrounded me.

I jerked around and came face to face with Kate in what appeared to be a very sexed up version of catwoman.

"What the hell are you doing?" I hissed, untangling myself from her touch.

"Can't I come give you a proper hello?" she said while licking her lips.

"You don't need to come near me at all. Nothing is going on between us."

"Oh c'mon Eddie. We always have so much fun together. Don't be an asshole."

"Seriously Kate. I am here with someone. You are wasting your time and making a fool out of yourself."

Too bad that wasn't enough to deter her; in fact it only got her going more.

She leaned in and I felt her beer smelling breath on my neck. "What does this girl have that I don't have?"

"Class."

"I didn't hear you complaining the times I took you back to my place to fuck. Why don't we ditch this lame party and go make our own fun?"

I lost myself in images of my feisty Bella ripping Kate's hair out for touching me. I am a bit ashamed to admit that my girl fighting for me was a real fucking turn on. I couldn't help the smile that spread over my features when I remembered the time in my backseat after class a few weeks ago…

"Wouldn't that be great Eddie?…" Kate's voice finally broke through the fog.

I couldn't remember what she was saying, "Umm…"

"What the fuck Edward!" I heard a desperate cry come from somewhere behind Kate. I quickly pushed her off me as if I'd been electrocuted.

"Bella?"

"No shit. What are you doing with _this_?" she motioned towards Kate.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're the one interrupting us," Kate said putting her hands on her hips.

"Back off Kate. I told you to step away already. As usual you never listen…" I barked out.

"Shut up Edward. You didn't look like you were fighting her very much. What happened to just going to get a drink?" It may have been the alcohol flowing through me or the interruption of my fantasies, but I felt my face turn red.

"Are you checking up on me now?" I shot back at Bella.

"Screw you. I'm outta here."

She turned on her heel and marched back out of the kitchen, her drink flying through the air and landing with a thud on the tile floor.

My hands balled into fists and I started walking towards the exit.

"Where are you going Eddie!?" I heard from behind me.

Immediately I turned toward a flustered Kate. "I am going after my girl. Like I told you before, stay the hell away from me. We are done."

I turned again and made my way through the throng of drunk bodies. There were too many damn people in this small of a house. I saw a glimpse of mahogany hair flying through the front door and knew it was Bella.

The thought of her being even remotely tipsy and walking down the street alone felt like a punch in the gut.

I shoved my way through more people and almost reached the door when I felt a small hand grasp my bicep.

"Let go of me Alice. I need to go after Bella," I said quietly.

"You stay Edward. I will go after her…she seemed really upset when she stormed through here."

"No, this is my fault. I am going after her. She can't walk back to Rose's by herself."

"You will only make it worse. Let me do some damage control and I will make sure she gets back to the house safely."

I looked down at my sister, not thrilled to know she would be walking outside alone too.

"I'll keep my phone on and call you when we get to the house. Deal?"

I gave out a resigned sigh and nodded my head. She gave my arm a gentle squeeze before flying out the door after my girl.

Instead of staying downstairs for a party that I was no longer in the mood for, I made my way upstairs to Emmett's room. Shutting the door behind me, I ripped off the vest and tie, throwing them onto my overnight bag. I slumped onto Emmett's unmade bed and stared at the ceiling.

How the hell did a night that started out nice turn into a complete fuck up?

Bella's behavior was pretty rash for the situation. Yes I had some slutty chick leaning in too close to me, but it isn't like Bella doesn't know that my past is a bit shady. No I don't go into details…but she knows. And then to stomp off before I can even have a chance to defend myself? What the fuck?

The alcohol finally started to wear off and I vigorously rubbed my face with my palms, suddenly feeling very tired.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and noted that the girls should be back to Rosalie's by now.

_Bella – We need to talk about this. You shouldn't have left like that. –E_

That sounded like an asshole thing to say.

_I'm worried about you. This is all a misunderstanding. Call me. –E_

I shut my phone and laid it next to my head on the pillow. My eyes fluttered shut and I was on the verge of sleep when my phone buzzed to life.

Quickly grabbing it, I flipped it open to see if it was Bella.

But no…just Alice letting me know they were safe and that Bella needed some time.

_Alice – did she say anything to you about what happened? –E_

_No Edward. She's been crying and making no sense. Stay where you are. –A_

I laid there for what felt like eternity. I think sleep overcame me a few times. I was jolted out of it when my phone once again buzzed.

_I'm fine Edward. Just…just give me space. –B_

How much space would she need?

_I can give you some. But we need to talk about it eventually. –E_

My phone buzzed not even a minute later.

_I'm aware of that. Just not now. –B_

--

I turned the stereo down and pulled the emergency break when I landed in front of Rosalie's. The house looked quiet, most likely all of the girls sleeping off their booze fest from the night before.

It was just after ten in the morning and Alice had told me they were ready to head home. I hopped out of the car and walked up the path, taking the front steps two at a time. My hand had barely connected with the front door when it was swung open to reveal my sister and Bella. Both girls were sporting sunglasses, obviously suffering from hangovers as well.

Neither said a word to me as Alice guided Bella down the steps and towards my car. I noticed that they didn't have their bags so I looked into the entryway and spotted them. Sighing, I hoisted three heavy bags onto my arms and shut the front door behind me.

I lumbered down to the trunk of my car and stowed their bags alongside mine. I slipped into the driver's seat just as Bella maneuvered away from me in the passenger seat and laid her head against the cool glass.

Obviously talking was out for the ride home.

My iPod was plugged into the stereo and set to shuffle, the only noise besides the raindrops on the roof. The girls snoozed on and off for the four hours it took to get back to Forks. Bella never directly looked at me when she was conscious, which didn't help my frustration over what happened the night before.

--

"Bella." I nudged her shoulder gently.

"Hmm?"

"You need to wake up. We're back home."

I leaned back as she stretched lazily from her position in the seat. A small sliver of skin was exposed as her shirt rode up on her stomach. _Yeah I admit it; I had a hard time swallowing the groan._

She grabbed her head in pain as she tried to sit up. "My head feels like a hammer crushed it in two. Remind me to never drink that much or that fast again. Jesus."

"Look Bella…" I started but was interrupted by the ringtone set for Esme. "Shit…hold on."

I flipped it open and brought it to my ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey sweetie…you back yet?"_

"Yes mom. We are just dropping off Bella now. I was going to see if she wanted to hang for a bit."

"_You'll have to make a rain check on that. I want you home pretty fast…I have a list of chores for you."_

"Chores? C'mon! I have been gone all weekend and really tired…can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"_No it can't young man. Say goodbye to Bella, you will see her tomorrow." _With that she clicked off…leaving me no choice but to cut my time with Bella short.

Alice was still out of it in the backseat and Bella was staring at me with bemused curiosity.

"Sorry…that was my mom. She is pretty much demanding that we get home now. I wanted to talk…" I trailed off.

"We can do it later okay? Go spend time with your mom." She yawned as she responded.

"Alright." She gave me a small smile before opening her door. I quickly leaned over and softly grasped her upper arm. "Hey…we're okay right?"

She looked back at me for a long moment. "Yeah…we just have to communicate better."

I leaned over and gave her cheek a chaste peck before leaning back.

"See you later," she said.

After she got her bag out of the trunk and was met at the door by the Chief, I pulled out of the driveway and into my own. Esme barely let me get in the door before she threw a bucket of cleaning supplies at me and told me to clean all of the bathrooms. Somehow Alice got to go to bed because she was having one of her 'headaches' (when it was really the hangover).

Every time I thought I was done with cleaning, my mom would find something else for me to do. Finally she let me go up to my room after dinner. I was at last able to think about Bella for the first time since I had seen her earlier in the afternoon. I wanted to call her but thought better of it.

In order to distract myself I pulled out homework for my English class…that task lasted all of five minutes before I gave up. The pacing didn't help and for the first time, music couldn't hold my attention.

It was finally around eleven o'clock when I decided that I was going to look like a fucking stalker and climb into Bella's bedroom.

I slipped on my blue and black flannel sleep pants along with a plain white t-shirt and hoodie. The closest shoes I had were my black riding boots. Grabbing my phone and switching off the light, I slipped down the quiet staircase and out the living room doors into the backyard. We had motion detector lights around the perimeter of the house, but I knew where to avoid stepping and go undetected.

I felt really weird acting this way as I slipped through the gate to the Swan's residence. All seemed quiet in the house; all of the downstairs and upstairs lights were off. Thank god the rain had stopped for the time being as I scaled the tree outside of Bella's balcony. The damn bark was rough on my exposed skin and I was thankful that I thought to wear shoes with a grip on the bottom. After ten minutes of some intense tree climbing, I came into contact with the balcony. I hoisted myself over the railing and stopped to catch my breath.

_Was she going to go batshit that I am doing this? I really was a whole new level of stalker with this move._

I quietly tried the handle on the door, finding that it opened quietly into the dark room. _We were _definitely_ having a talk about leaving the door unlocked _

I had only been in her room twice, but it had been awhile. I closed the door behind me, but tripped over what must have been a pair of shoes lying in my path. I let out a muffled groan as my thigh came into contact with a sharp corner of something.

There was movement in the region where the bed was and then a light clicked on. I squinted at the sudden onslaught of brightness, taking in the disheveled and shocked looking Bella.

"What the hell Edward?" she panted roughly, her hand covering her chest.

"Um…surprise?" I mumbled, suddenly very shy.

"Would you like to tell me why you are in my room this late? And without my permission?"

"Well…uh…I wanted to see you and Esme wouldn't let me escape for ten minutes. And I didn't like how we left things earlier."

"So you thought by sneaking in my room, late at night was the answer?" she said, fighting a smile that was threatening to break free.

"I guess it wasn't the best plan…I just missed you I guess." I ran my hand along the back of my neck in a sheepish movement.

"You missed me huh?" She crawled to her knees, the comforter falling from her body. The sight of her in nothing but skimpy shorts and a ratty t-shirt did things to me that I really didn't want to deal with right now.

"Fuck Bella…that's a stupid question."

"I missed you too. Now you want to talk? When I said we would do it later…I was thinking more like tomorrow. I'm pretty beat right now."

"Oh…well then I will just go then…" I turned and slowly made my way back to the door.

"Stop right there," I heard from behind me. "Would you…um…want to just stay?"

I turned around and stared right at her. I was silently singing fucking show tunes at the thought of sharing the same bed with Bella…even for just one night.

She got fidgety and bit into her bottom lip, a nervous habit.

"You're sure?" I asked, moving towards her.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Alright. I just have to be out of here earlier then when Charlie wakes up."

"I'll set the alarm. Feel free to use the bathroom if you need to." She leaned over and began fiddling with her iPod dock as I strolled to the bathroom.

After taking care of business I made my way over to the sink and turned on the faucet. As I washed my hands I allowed my eyes to roam over the contents currently sitting on the counter. Makeup, lotions and body sprays, hair products, a brush and then what looked like a prescription bottle. I stopped the faucet and dried my hands, my eyes never leaving the bottle.

I debated on looking at it, it really wasn't any of my business. But my curiosity won out and I picked the small bottle up, looking at the label. Her name was printed along with Dr. McPherson's name. My eyes scanned until I found the name of the pills – Remeron.

I knew enough from being the son of a doctor and who had been on prescribed medicines for most of his teenage years. Remeron was an anti-depressant medicine. I placed the bottle back in its original place and stared at myself in the mirror.

The erratic behavior from the party suddenly became a lot clearer. She probably hadn't been on the medicine all that long, she was emotional in whatever she had to go to therapy for, she was probably as confused as I was about what we were to each other and she had been drinking a lot of alcohol. Talk about a colossal fucked-up mix to have to deal with at once. I let out a shaky breath and couldn't help the wave of self-hatred for how I had acted at the party. I should have read the signs because I felt the exact same shit she did not too long ago.

I opened the door and shut off the light, leaving me in almost complete darkness. Bella laid with her back to me, clearly already back to sleep. I quietly made my way over to the bed and pulled back the covers. I moved my body until I was pretty much flush against her back; I propped my head on my elbow, looking down at her sleeping form. She never looked more peaceful in that moment and she gave out a contented sigh as I adjusted my position and threw my arm of her abdomen, pulling her completely into me.

I was scared of what our conversation would bring. I knew I had to tell her the complete truth of my past, as did she. We would never get very far with only half-truths.

--

**A/N: *sigh* okay…so there it is. Just a heads up, the next two chapters will be the 'big reveals'…I am doing two separate chapters because that is just too much heartfail for one chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one…it was giving me lots of problems which is part of the reason why it took so long.**

**Happy Thanksgiving! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns…I just come up with the plot. **

**A/N: Here is part one of the "reveals"…Bella is first. **

--

Ch. 18

The voice of Bono filtered into my ears as _Beautiful Day _suddenly filled my speakers at 4:30 a.m. Groaning and with my eyes still closed, I rolled over and slammed my hand on the snooze button. I couldn't remember for a minute why I had set my alarm for such a ridiculous time in the morning until I felt the warm, strong arms wrap around my torso.

Edward was here.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I settled back into his body, my back still against his chest. He nuzzled his face into my neck, his morning scruff scratching my skin enticingly.

"Morning," he said in a throaty tone.

"Mmm," I mumbled into the crook of his elbow.

I rolled to face him, brown eyes meeting green. He had his signature crooked smile on his face, sex hair maxed out to the fullest and a lazy look in his eyes. This was Edward…fresh from a night of good sleep and no outside world influences.

And I felt myself fall for him even more.

"What time does your dad get up that forces us to get up at…" he leaned over me to see the clock, "…4:30 in the fucking morning?"

"I set it a little earlier so you didn't have to rush. He wakes up in about forty-five minutes."

"Mmm…how sweet of you." He was still hovering over me. Slowly he began to lean down, his eyes on my lips. I wanted to kiss him so bad. _So _bad. But…

I quickly clamped my right hand over my mouth, staring at him wide eyed.

"What?" he said, leaning back a bit.

"Morning breath," I mumbled between my fingers.

He just smiled and softly placed his large hand over my mine, pulling it away from my face. "Like I give a fuck."

His plump lips captured mine before I could utter a protest. I attempted to lift my body to further meet his, but his hands splayed over both my shoulders, holding me down. He maneuvered his upper body until he was lightly resting his weight on me, all the while his lips still attached to mine.

My tongue slid between my lips and softly traced his. He quickly opened up and our tongues met and the world felt right again. I wrapped my hands tightly in his mussed-up hair while his arms continuously ran up and down the length of my arms.

We continued the slow and sweet make-out session until he pulled away and placed a light kiss on each eyelid, both my cheeks and then finally my lips once more.

Still hovering over me, he let his head drop to my shoulder with a low groan. "You have no idea the power you have over me Bell."

"I'm sure I have some idea babe. I never get flustered around guys…but yet it seems to be a continuous thing with you."

I ran my hands softly through his hair, trying to flatten it. But like it does everyday, it had a mind of its own.

"I guess I better go. Charlie will be up soon. I'll pick you up at the usual time?" he asked.

"Sounds good. Are you going to be able to get back in your house okay?"

"Yeah. My dad is already at the hospital and my mom and sister won't be up for a bit." He gave me one last kiss on the lips before he hauled himself up on his knees and scrambled over the end of the bed. It was the first time I noticed what he had on and silently cursed myself for the missed opportunity of seeing Edward shirtless.

He slid on a hoodie before cramming his feet into what looked like his riding boots. I climbed out of bed and slipped my cold feet into a pair of Uggs. I met him at my balcony doors where he engulfed me in a warm embrace. We stayed like that for a few minutes and I occasionally felt the whisper of his lips on the top of my head.

"Can we talk later?" I asked quietly.

He loosened his embrace on me and leaned back to see my face. "Really?"

"Yeah…I think…um…that its time you know everything. I'm tired of keeping it to myself, especially from someone as important as you."

"I would be honored to listen. Thank you for thinking that I am important enough to be let in." His left hand rose to my cheek where his thumb brushed the skin gently. We maintained eye contact until he closed his and leaned down for another kiss. It didn't last long but the message behind it spoke volumes.

He was here for me no matter what.

"Okay stud, get going before I never let you leave," I said in a playful tone.

"Oh what a harsh punishment!" he feigned fear.

He turned from me and grasped the door, pulling it open.

"Oh yeah…you better start locking your door at night or we are going to have a problem," he said.

"Then how will you get in again?" I said with a smirk.

"We'll figure it out. But lock it."

He stepped outside into the rosy-tinged morning. I waved at him once he got down the tree and ran across my yard and into his.

I closed the door and locked it as he asked. I found myself okay with doing things for him…for once not feeling selfish in the least.

--

"Belllaaa…"

Alice's singing voice broke through my staring contest with Edward.

"Yes Alice?"

"So did you and my brother have a nice sleepover last night?" she asked innocently.

I almost spit out the piece of apple I was currently chewing on.

"Uh…excuse me?"

Thank god Edward was on the opposite side of the table with Alec.

"You heard me. Don't play dumb Ms. Swan," she said, narrowing her eyes at me.

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Please. Since I slept the day away yesterday, I was up most of the night. I heard him, even though I am sure he was trying to be quiet, walk out and I watched him cross our yard and into yours. I didn't hear anything else until he snuck back in at the crack of dawn."

I just shrugged.

"You are so whipped."

"Shut up Alice. Don't get me started on Jasper," I muttered, taking another bite from my apple.

"I'll tell you about Jasper when I am good and ready. Your situation is different since it so happens to include my brother."

"I'm not going to say anything just yet Alice. Edward is a private person and even though you are his sister, I'm not sure what he wants others to know. You're my best friend…but he is…well Edward. Please don't make me choose."

The bell rang before she could say anything…and by the time she gathered her books together, I was halfway out of the cafeteria.

I didn't mean to sound like a bitch to her…I wasn't lying when I said she was my best friend. But Edward had become increasingly important to me and I felt this strong urge to protect whatever was going on between us.

I knew he was behind me before I felt him lazily drape his arm across my shoulders. I looked up and gave him a smile before turning into the Chemistry classroom.

"So what were you and Alice talk so intently about?" he whispered as we took our seats towards the back of the room.

"She knows you were with me last night."

"Oh well. Are you not happy that someone knows?" he asked in a careful tone.

"No…I'm fine with it. She just was questioning what was going on between us and I told her that she doesn't get to know until we actually know what's going on."

Mr. Banner walked in just then…the classroom quickly falling into silence. Edward grasped my hand firmly under the table and gave it a tight squeeze.

We ended up watching a movie that I barely paid attention to. I was too busy thinking about what I had to tell Edward in a matter of hours. We only had one period left before school ended for the day.

I was the last to notice the lights come back on until Edward handed me my bag.

"I have to run to the office real quick so I won't be able to walk you to class. I'll meet you at my car after school?"

"Sounds good."

He looked at me for a moment before leaning down and kissing my forehead.

For the first time I wished that the arms on the clock slowed down, stalling the inevitable.

--

The Cullen house was quiet as the three of us walked through the kitchen and towards the stairs. Alice was already ahead of us, still slightly miffed about our talk at lunch. Like I said before, I couldn't blame here since we usually _always _tell each other things…but this was different.

Edward grasped my hand and we slowly made our way up to the third floor. He shut and locked his door once we were in before taking both of our bags and setting them on his desk.

"Do you want a drink?" he asked while walking over to the hidden mini-fridge that was placed just inside his closet.

"If you have a water bottle in there…that'd be great."

I climbed atop his huge bed and rested my back and head against his headboard. My arms found one of his pillows, bringing it to my chest where I began to hug it.

He came back into the room after a moment and silently handed me my bottle before opening his and downing almost half of it. He then kicked off his shoes before sitting at the end of the bed and slowly untying mine and taking them off. It was odd to watch him being so careful with something like my shoes…but it warmed my heart nonetheless.

After what felt like hours he settled down next to me and mimicked my position.

"So," he began.

"So." I swallowed thickly.

"We only have to go as far as you want to. I know that Alice, Esme and Dr. McPherson know what I would like to be let in on. I also know that you are on anti-depressants."

It took me a moment to hear entirely what he was saying. "How do you know about my meds?"

"I saw them on your counter last night. It helped to answer some questions about Saturday night. I can just kick myself in the ass though for not seeing it in the first place." He shook his head, his eyes refusing to look at me.

"Why should you have known about my problem? Going through what I am has nothing to do with you…if anything, you have helped me," I said softly.

"I know Bella. I mean that I have had to go on anti-depressants before and I should have known the signs when we were at that party Saturday night."

I took a deep breath before whispering, "I need to tell you what led me to this."

He angled himself slightly towards me, signaling that I had his full attention.

"Um…you know that my mom and step-dad died right?"

He silently nodded.

"Did you ever find out how?"

"No…Esme never said a word."

"They died because of a drunk driver…because of me." I felt the tinge of hot liquid seep from behind my eyelids. This only made me angrier for being so weak.

"Keep going sweetie," Edward said softly.

I sniffled before continuing. "I don't know if you knew that I was supposed to be out here in the middle of the summer…not the weekend before school. Well…um…there was a party that some of the kids from school were going to throw me. Basically it was just an excuse to get drunk or high…or even both. I didn't stay long because my mom flat out told me that I had to be home by midnight. We argued a bit about it before I headed out…"

My hands were shaking as I attempted to stop the flow of tears running down my cheeks. A quiet Edward reached into his nightstand and produced a small box of Kleenex. I attempted to thank him but it only came out as a sob.

"I didn't have the most reliable car…you would term it a piece of shit I'm sure. On the drive home I had to go on a pretty deserted road in order to get where I needed to go. Suddenly the radio started acting up and then an explosion came from the hood. That was when I finally pulled to the side of the road and put some distance between me and the car.

"It was almost midnight and I couldn't get any fucking reception. I attempted to walk up and down the dark and deserted road for almost an hour trying to get some kind of signal on my phone. When I did, I called home…my mom answered." I swallowed with difficulty, fumbling to find my water bottle.

"Here," Edward said in a strained voice. I looked down and noticed that he held the water. I took it and drained the rest of it. He took it back from me and threw it somewhere at the foot of the bed.

I shifted to where I was sitting Indian-style in front of him, a wad of tissues clenched in my hands.

"So my mom answered. She was so angry with me…so _so_ angry. I managed to calm her down enough to explain the situation. She told me that her and Phil would come and get me. A little while later I finally saw them approaching where I was…b-but then I saw the other car c-coming from the opposite direction. It was w-weaving across the two lanes going really fast. It c-collided with my mom's car…h-head on." I started hiccupping with my tears, unable to keep going.

"Shh…lets stop there for a minute. Just breathe baby…just breathe," Edward whispered with his lips against my forehead. I was immobile as he gathered my limp body into his lap, gently rocking me while my body shook with sobs.

It felt like my insides were ripped open and I laid bare for everyone to see. My head wouldn't stop showing the swerving headlights of my parents' murderer…not even when my mind remembered what my mom's car looked like under the SUV.

"Screaming…s-so much screaming…" I whimpered out.

"Who was screaming?" Edward asked, still gently rocking me.

"M-me. I-I couldn't stop…I ended up blacking out after everything."

"That's understandable…"

I breathed in deeply and attempted to continue with the story. "It took me forever to call 911 because of the lack of signal. They came pretty quickly after that."

I told him about the arrival of the paramedics and how they couldn't get the SUV off that quickly. That they ended up having to extract my parents from the top of the vehicle. How I felt like I was dying too when I saw my mom's mangled body lifted from the car, the last time I ever saw her again.

"There was so much blood. The image I have in my head fuels my nightmares…I-I didn't get to say goodbye or how much I loved her. She wouldn't have even been there if I hadn't of called her." I was starting to get angry with myself…opening such a deep wound does that to you.

Edward stopped rocking me and maneuvered me until I was straddling his hips. "Bella…I couldn't even begin to comprehend the level of sadness that you carry around with you. But you need to get it straight that this wasn't your fault. It was an _accident _that could have happened to anyone going down that road that night."

"I've been told that repeatedly ever since the accident Edward. But they are just words…nothing sinks in other then that it _was _my fault. I can't help the way I feel…especially when it took my mom away."

He hugged me to him, slowly stroking up and down the length of my back. "My beautiful girl…I'm so sorry this happened to you. If I could have prevented it I would have. I hate that you have to know this level of devastation."

His voice was low and it shook while he said it. I leaned back and looked at him, seeing unshed tears behind his eyelashes. He wiped the tear stains from my cheeks before leaning forward and leaving sweet kisses in their tracks.

"So what happened after that?" he asked.

"I was left everything…the house, the car, money…more then I should ever see at this age. Charlie came down to help me pack up the house. I decided to put it up for sale because there was no way I'd ever be able to set foot in it after everything. I stayed behind to arrange and attend the funeral…which was why it took me longer to come to Forks. I was pretty much alone for it all because I refused Alice's offerings of coming down and I told Charlie to get back to work. I-it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do…burying my mom."

Edward had a thoughtful look on his face as his eyes met mine. "I can only imagine…"

I sighed…feeling myself slowly calming down. "I've changed a lot since Phoenix, Edward. Apart from Halloween night and going to the bar with Jasper…"

I stopped mid-sentence, my eyes growing wide at my slip-up. Edward's reaction wasn't what I thought it would be though.

Smirking, he leaned back and rested his head on the headboard. "So you hung out with Jasper, huh?"

"Um…this was before I even met you again. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before…"

He held up his hand to stop me. "I have something to tell you now. I know…about all of it. The bar, the gas station and the kiss."

"Y-you do?"

"Mhmm."

"And?"

"And what? I wasn't happy at first because…well we will get into that at another time. But he was straight up with me about what happened and I had decided not to bring it up unless you did first."

"Wow." I leaned back so that my weight was resting on my arms, my legs still straddling him.

"Yep. So we are moving on…no need to say anymore about it." His hands rested gently on my hips, making soothing circles.

I leaned forward again and placed a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. "So now you know the extent of it. I go to therapy because I have nightmares…though they have calmed down a bit in the past few weeks. Dr. McPherson says that I harbor the blame for the accident…she pretty much tells me what you just did…though I trust your opinion more then hers. I'm going for Charlie because he begged me to…and I don't need to be a failure for another parent."

"Stop right there Swan. You are _not_ a failure. I hate it when you speak about yourself like that…you are so far from a bad person. You've saved me in a lot of ways you know."

"I have?"

"Yes. And I think it's fair to share my past with you after all of the things you share with me today," he said quietly.

I made to get off his lap but he held me fast, his grip suddenly very firm on my thighs.

"Just stay…I-I need to feel your weight…it holds me in the present."

I placed my hands over his and waited for him to reveal his mysterious life to me.

--

**A/N: I really love this chapter…and it felt good to get her side out. Edward is up next. In the meantime, why don't you hit that review button and let me know what you thought. If you want updates/teasers…follow me on Twitter or visit my site. Both links are in my profile. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters…the plot is my own idea. **

**A/N: Here is Edwards reveal…I got kind of emotional writing it. Another a/n at the bottom.**

**Warning****: There are some mentions of abuse in this chapter…so if you don't think you can handle it, skip over the italicized portion until it goes back to the regular style of font. **

**Musical Inspiration: "Tumble Down" by Marcus Foster & "How To Save A Life" by The Fray**

--

Ch. 19

Watching Bella fall apart like that was more then difficult. The thought of her seeing her mother's mangled body being pulled from that car almost made me physically sick. The only thing I could do was to pull her to me and hold on to her as tight as possible.

I silently wished for her pain to become mine.

That her tears would become my own.

I would do anything for this girl…in that moment I knew it without a doubt.

After calming her down enough, I prepared myself for telling her about my childhood.

Of course Bella had to go and put herself down…a sign of self-preservation that I was only now picking up on.

"Stop right there Swan. You are _not_ a failure. I hate it when you speak about yourself like that…you are so far from a bad person. You've saved me in a lot of ways you know."

"I have?"

"Yes. And I think it's fair to share my past with you after all of the things you share with me today," I finally said in no more then a whisper.

She tried to move away from me but my arms quickly tightened around her small frame once again. If I was going to do this…to make it through the memories…then she had to stay as close as possible.

"Just stay…I-I need to feel your weight…it holds me in the present."

"What happened Edward?" she asked gently, running her hands softly through my hair.

I inhaled deep, closing my eyes briefly. I reopened them and stared straight into her eyes, seeing the anxiety reflecting back at me.

"You already know that Carlisle and Esme are my adoptive parents." Bella nodded her head in agreement. "I wasn't adopted until I was eleven. I spent a year in foster care after it happened."

"What forced you into foster care?"

"A bad home life. It wasn't always bad; it started after my birth father died. I was five years old. I don't remember much, only that I loved to go fishing with him on Sundays. His name was Edward Masen…he and my mother, Elizabeth, were high school sweethearts. He ended up dying from a really bad case of pneumonia.

"Of course I was too young to really understand what was happening. One minute he was there…the next he was gone. I remember Elizabeth didn't take it very well and began drinking…heavily. She started leaving me with the neighbor more and more, disappearing to do God knows what. One day she brought Caius home…"

Bella's hand continuously ran soothing circles over my knuckles.

"He didn't give a shit about me. Of course I was only…what…six at the time? I hadn't had a male figure in over a year and I guess I was starving for that connection again, ya know?" I mumbled.

"Of course…you were just a kid. What happened when he arrived?" Bella asked.

"Like I said, at first he ignored my existence. Elizabeth fawned all over him. In the beginning I thought things were looking up because I wasn't being dropped off at the neighbors. Well that wasn't the case…" I let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head at my childhood innocence.

"She was doing everything she had been doing, but stopped caring whether I was around it or not. I know what they were doing now…now that I am older and can understand. Empty bottles were always thrown around the house; one time I found a syringe in a trash can. I had picked it up just as she came into the room. She completely freaked out and that was the first time she hit me.

"As time went on, yelling matches started between the two. I got smart enough to stay as quiet as possible. I don't think I said more then ten words in a ten month period. I learned how to get myself to school, but I didn't do too well. The teachers would always try and set up conferences with her, but of course she wouldn't show. I quickly learned how to get by, staying under the radar. For some reason I had this notion that I was protecting my mother…by not allowing the school to get to her. One day, I think I was around eight; I came home to my mother crying. She was hunched over at the dining room table. She had a black eye and blood running from her nose. That was just the beginning.

"First it was the constant yelling in the middle of the night, mostly Caius'. They were both drunk off their asses as usual…probably stoned too. I used to hide between the wall and my bed when this happened. And then Elizabeth had yet another black eye, this time with a busted lip. She would tell me to drop it whenever I asked about all the bruises that she was covered with. And I would stay quiet, because I loved her…and because I fucking trusted her."

My voice broke on the last word, tears finally forming on my eyelids. I brought both of my palms to my face, vigorously rubbing my eyes. I hadn't fucking cried since I was eleven years old and being dragged from that house.

I felt a tentative hand cover mine, the fingers wrapping around my own. Bella pulled my hand away from my face, continuing her stroking of my knuckles. I looked away from her as I felt more tears coming on.

"Please don't be afraid to show me this side of you Edward. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt this side of you." She laid my hand against her cheek, her eyes unrelenting on mine. I sighed and stroked my thumb along her warm cheek.

"I know. I know…" I whispered.

"Whenever you're ready to continue, I'm here." She offered a small smile and returned my hand to her lap where she continued her stroking.

"One night I heard them yelling again. A loud crash came from downstairs…and I guess I wasn't thinking, but I rushed down there. My mother was cowering in the corner of the living room…"

Even though I felt Bella's grasp on my hand, I found myself sinking into my memories.

_I tripped down the stairs, rushing to see what the loud crash was. _

_As I entered the living room, I noticed that only one lamp was on, casting the room into almost all shadows. I noticed all of the curtains were pulled…the smell of alcohol filled my nostrils. My eyes settled on my mother, her trembling body pushed into the farthest corner of the room. My eyes traveled over the rest of the room…Caius was leaning against the wall, lazily taking a drag off a cigarette. And then my eyes settled on the overturned couch. _

_I was still undetected as I watched Caius push off the wall and slowly saunter over to my moms form. She whimpered lightly when she heard his footsteps. _

_When he got close enough he squatted down, his cigarette still hanging from his lips. "What's the matter Lizzie? Finally realizing the benefit of keeping your fucking mouth shut?"_

_He slowly caressed the back of her head with his hand, which caused another whimper from her. Suddenly he drew his hand back and brought it forward, slapping the side her head. _

_Before I could stop it, a yell of protest erupted from my throat. I threw myself at him, clawing at his back. _

"_Get the fuck off me kid," he slurred. _

_He managed to get a hand on my arm, throwing me to the ground. I let out a low moan as the wind was knocked out of me. _

"_Your bastard son tried sticking up for you Lizzie…ain't that sweet? Doesn't he know that was the wrong move?"_

_He stalked slowly towards me. I backed up into the wall, suddenly very afraid. "W-what do you mean?"_

"_Your mama here has been mouthing off to me. I bet she's cheating on me too." He turned to her and yelled, "Whore!"_

"_M-mom w-why are you crying?" I mumbled, crawling over to her. _

"_Don't touch me," she said through gritted teeth. _

_For the first time she uncovered her face, blood once again seeping from her nose. _

"_You're bleeding again," I stated simply. _

_She only glared at me, still covering half her face with her hand._

"_She deserved it…and you'd do well to remember that for your women Edward," Caius chimed in._

_I turned to him, smelling the sweat radiating off his body. "It's not nice to hit."_

"_Sure it is." He suddenly grabbed my mom's arm, yanking her from her crouched position. "This is the only way to get them to cooperate with you."_

"_No it's not," I said quietly._

"_You think I'm lying?" he snarled. Turning to my mother, he grabbed her face in a firm grasp, "Go get me another beer. Now."_

_He threw her away from him, causing her to tumble over in her drunken state. She righted herself and scurried to the kitchen…returning a moment later with another bottle of his poison. _

"_Good. Now that I gave your son an important lesson, get out of my face." He righted the couch once more before plopping down onto its surface and flipping the TV on. _

_I stared for a moment, my mom having left the room on his command. I turned on my heel and ran back up to my bedroom, burying myself in my blankets. _

_I didn't know how much time had passed until I heard my door fly open. I peeked over the edge of the blanket, seeing my mothers form illuminated by the hall light. She marched forward, fury shining in her eyes. _

_I shrank back into my pillows, trembling. I feared her more then Caius at that moment. _

"_I thought I told you to shut your god damned mouth about what just happened?" she spat._

"_I d-didn't do anything…" _

"_Shut up. You disgust me." _

"_But what did I do? I was trying to protect you mom. He hurts you." _

"_Shut up!" she screamed, her right hand making contact with my cheekbone. _

Suddenly I was shaken from my flashback when I felt my body being jolted by Bella. My arms automatically wrapped around her, burying my face in the crook of her neck. I didn't realize until that point that I was sobbing…full on tears.

"Oh _Edward_…" her voice broke.

"A-and I went to school the next day with a black and blue hand print across that s-side of my f-face. The t-teacher saw it, told the principal and the c-cops were called. I-I was out of the house by that night" I stuttered into her shoulder, my tears ruining her shirt.

"Shh…I'm here…I'm here Edward…" she mumbled.

Just as I had done for her, she began to rock us together…sharing our grief with one another. After awhile we both quieted down; she pulled away from me, keeping both her hands on my shoulders. My heart felt heavy and my eyes were tired.

I felt her fingers lightly rub against my closed eyelids, wiping away any tears that escaped.

"Sorry about your shirt." I motioned towards her shoulder. She shooed it off, not even bothering to look.

"That's awful Edward…God I can't believe you had to go through that."

I licked my dry lips, trying to decide what I could tell her next.

"She was dead inside, I think. Her spirit died with Edward Sr., I really think it did. Before he died she was so full of life…she threw it away for the bottle, drugs and _him_."

"What happened after you left?" Bella asked gently.

"I only saw her once more and that was when she forfeited all of her parental rights…handing me over to the state. Neither of my parents had siblings and both sets of my grandparents were long gone. So I was alone…my mother didn't even want me. She ended up dying from a drug overdose about six months after I was put into foster care. Caius eventually got thrown in jail for a good period of time for domestic abuse with another woman, or so I've been told."

Bella shook her head, "How did you come to be a Cullen?"

"Carlisle was volunteering to do free exams on foster children when he found me. I was a pretty angry kid…haunted by my nightmares of the hell I lived through. I had so much hatred for an eleven year old, mostly at my mother for not loving me enough to protect me from that…for doing to me what he did to her. But Carlisle saw something in me and brought me home with him. They already had Alice…she was the first. Emmett had just arrived a year before me."

I lay back on my pillows, looking up at the ceiling. I felt Bella crawl up my body, her legs straddling my waist. She settled her head just below my chin, her fingers stroking my cloth covered arms. I wrapped my arms around her, never taking my eyes off the ceiling.

"I want you to know Bella…I go to therapy for my anger and my nightmares. I haven't been on them in awhile, but I used to be on the same depressants you are now. I still have bad dreams every now and then, but since meeting you they seemed to have disappeared. I don't let people in easily…now you can see why. The person I was supposed to be able to trust the most let me down in the biggest way. I got a lot of that back in my new family…and now you. I trust you Bella and I hope you can do the same. Trust in me."

"I trust you Edward…with my life. And thank you for sharing another piece of yourself."

"You're welcome…though I should say thank you as well."

We laid there for awhile longer, no words needed. Though it always chipped a bit at my heart to relive my childhood, I felt lighter after telling Bella.

"Edward?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"Look at me please."

I took my eyes off the ceiling and granted her request. She had her hands now resting flat against my chest, her chin resting atop those.

"I want you to meet Charlie."

I was a bit taken aback by the statement…she knew the Chief hated me.

"Huh?" was my brilliant response.

"I want you to meet him…as my boyfriend. No more hiding or circling around what is important."

The smile that overtook my face threatened to topple me.

"I want nothing more baby," I whispered…she crawled the rest of the way before leaning down and captures my lips with hers.

For the first time in years I felt peaceful…she really did save me in so many ways. 

--

**A/N: Phew. That was kind of intense. So that is Edward's past…definitely not pretty. Now I hope I didn't offend anyone with how I wrote his past…I do not take abuse lightly. I have never had to go through it personally, but I know people that have. I am all for getting the help that is needed to get out of any situation where abuse is involved. So I hope that this part of the story came across as delicately as possible without offending anyone. This is probably the darkest thing I have written thus far. On another note, I had to end it in lighter way…so they are basically exclusive in their own off-beat way. It would be great if you let me know what you thought of it…both the good and the bad. **

**Next up: Charlie…meet Edward…my boyfriend! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: This one is much lighter then the last two…I hope you're still with me. **

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns the characters…I think up the story. **

--

Ch. 20

Edward grabbed my hand, pulling me off the bed. He had dry tear tracks on his cheeks, but they seemed to have been forgotten by the huge smile on his face.

_My boyfriend_

I continued to grip his hand as I dragged him out of his bedroom and down the stairs. We would have kept going out the front door if we didn't run smack dab into Esme in the foyer.

She raised an eyebrow at our clasped hands before looking behind us, silently questioning where our previous whereabouts had been.

Edward looked slightly sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Hey mom…didn't know you were home yet."

"I just got in. What have you two been up to?" she asked. I was pretty uncomfortable with running into her like that…but not enough to miss the smirk that Esme was trying hard to hide.

Edward must have noticed it too because he was smiling again. "Nothing inappropriate, I promise. Bella…my _girlfriend_…and I had things to talk about." A shiver shot through my spine at my new title…it felt fucking great.

She looked between the two of us, her eyes shining with mirth. "I trust that you got it all straightened out then?"

We both nodded at the same time, laughing as we strode around her and out the front door.

"She probably things I'm a harlot now…seducing her seventeen year old son in his bedroom…" I giggled.

"Whatever Swan…Esme loves you as if you were one of her own. And you're not a harlot…unless you are mine." He bumped his arm against my shoulder, throwing me a wink.

"Yeah yeah…" I sighed.

"Charlie is going to shoot me on the spot…won't even let you say a word. Just watch…" he mumbled, eyeing the end of his driveway with hesitation.

"He will not. Just stand behind me, but you may have to crouch a bit to be fully covered. And it's better to just flat out tell him…maybe he won't be so bad if we don't hide. He's a cop…investigating is kind of his forte."

We were silent for the rest of the walk to my house. The police cruiser was sitting alongside my car. I looked over to Edward who seemed a little green around the edges; squeezing his hand in silent support, I trudged up the path to the porch with him falling in step behind me.

I stopped at the front door, turning back to Edward. I laid my palms flat against his chest, feeling his heartbeat a bit faster then normal. I smirked a little before I looked up at him.

"I'm not going to lie and say that this will go off without a hitch…because it won't. But try and relax because he will probably pick up on it. Can you do that…for me?" I whispered.

He sighed, trying to get his body to relax. Finally he nodded and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on my lips.

I opened the door as silently as possible, peeking around the edge to see if Charlie was within eyesight. Not seeing anything, I pushed the door open the rest of the way before leading Edward into the foyer.

"Wait out here for a minute…let me just prep him a bit, okay?" I whispered.

I patted his chest lightly before turning and contemplating where he might be. "Dad?"

"In the living room Bells," I heard him call to my left.

I looked over my shoulder real quick noticing that Edward was shifting from one foot to the other, his hands shoved in his pockets. He finally noticed that I looking at him before he gave me a small smile.

I turned towards the living room, taking a deep breath before entering the room. I stopped short when I noticed that Charlie wasn't watching a game. No…he happened to have all of his police equipment spread out on the coffee table. That included several guns, pepper spray, maglight and handcuffs.

_Fuck. My. Life._

"Uh…hey dad. Watcha doin'?"

"Hey. Just cleaning the equipment, making sure I don't need to replace anything. Where have you been?" he asked, reaching for his maglight and popping open the battery holder.

"Oh…um…just over at the Cullen's. Hey dad?"

He finally looked up at me, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to tell you something…well, rather I need you to meet someone."

"What do mean?" he asked in a wary tone.

"I want you to meet an important person in my life…but I want you to keep an open mind. No going cop on us, please."

"What do you mean someone important? I wasn't aware that you were seeing anybody." He placed the flashlight back on table, before drawing his hand back to his lap. I could have sworn I saw his fingers twitch towards his gun.

"I want you to meet Edward." I stepped back in the foyer, motioning Edward with my hand.

"Edward…?" my dad mumbled, thinking over my words.

That very guy stepped around the corner, desperately trying to sink into the floor. _So much for Mr. Tough Guy. _

"What is this about Isabella?" Charlie said in a stern voice. _Oh shit, he used my full name._

"Well…Edward and I are sort of seeing each other" I mumbled.

"Excuse me? Did I hear you say you were _sort of_ seeing each other?" he demanded.

I hated that tone. It pissed me off faster then many things could…so I stood up straighter and blindly grasped Edward's hand. "We are dating. As in boyfriend and girlfriend."

"You…him…absolutely not…wrong!" Charlie spluttered out.

"Yes we are," I stated simply.

"I told you to stay away from him. He is bad news."

I felt Edward trying to undo my grasp, but I held tight.

"You don't know him dad. You only know what you see in that file at work…or what you have arrested him for. That. Is. Not. Him."

"Mr. Swan…" Edward started.

"_Chief_!" Charlie interrupted.

I felt Edward shift next to me, knowing he was getting annoyed. "Chief Swan…I wanted to come over here and introduce myself as Edward _Cullen_…not Edward the criminal delinquent."

"Well Edward…out of all the girls in this town, why choose mine?"

"Dad!" I shrieked. "Stop it! You are for one embarrassing me, and two am I not good enough for somebody to want?"

He at least had the decency to look embarrassed himself. "That isn't what I meant…"

"I didn't choose your daughter…your daughter chose me…and I am truly thankful for that. I'm a different guy now then I was before I met her. She's changed me."

"Really?"

"Yes really. You haven't pulled me over since summer, have you?" Edward challenged.

"Well no…" Charlie said.

"Then I guess maybe Edward is right. Now, I am eighteen years old and I can see whomever I want to. He is a great guy and I hope you'll give yourself a chance to see that. I'm really happy dad…for the first time in a long time I feel content…and therapy didn't have anything to do with it." I pulled my hand from Edward's, only to wrap it around his waist. He tentatively placed his arm around my shoulders, pulling me tightly to him.

We both watched Charlie, who was still seated on the couch and his hands clenched on his knees. A million different emotions were filtering across his face until he suddenly started laughing. Not just a chuckle; a full on belly laugh that turned his face bright red.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You…and…him. Of course…random," he managed between laughs.

I quirked my eyebrow, convinced that he had officially lost it. I leaned towards Edward, who in turn leaned towards me. "I don't know what the fuck he's on, but sorry. He isn't usually this nutty."

"I think he's just…shocked?" Edward offered.

"Maybe…"

"Sorry…sorry. Do what you want to do…but Edward…if I _ever _find out you hurt her…you'll answer to me. Understand?" Charlie asked.

"Yes sir. I won't do anything to ever intentionally hurt her. I promise."

"And stay out of trouble. I don't want to see one more mark on your record or this will not work…I don't need my daughter hanging out with a bunch of criminals."

"He's not a criminal _father_…" I seethed.

"Hey…he already said that he would allow this to happen. Chill," Edward whispered.

Charlie stood up, stretching his back slightly. "We are going to have some ground rules…and don't give me that look Bells. This is for my peace of mind."

I huffed and allowed him to continue.

"You are to tell me when you have Edward over if I am not home…and no upstairs access for you mister. And I expect Dr. or Mrs. Cullen to be home when you are over at their house Bella."

I hung my head in frustration. I wanted to protest but I felt Edward's thumb stroking my side in a figure-eight. Once again that movement calmed me down; this was better then I would have ever expected from Charlie…so I would deal with it.

"Fine. Are we done here?" I asked.

"Sure. It's getting late…say goodnight to Edward." With that, Charlie sat back down and turned on the sports highlights. A clear dismissal.

I led Edward back out the front door, noticing the sun starting to set.

"This is so annoying. Why does he have to be so difficult?" I complained.

"Shh…listen to me. Charlie doesn't like me…nor does he trust me. So I am going to have to start from scratch and try and build something with him. Until then, I think he is being fair."

"When did you become so level-headed?" I teased.

"When you wanted to take a chance on me."

I placed both of my hands on either side of his face, gently pulling him towards me. My eyes automatically closed when I felt his warm lips press against mine.

It was a sweet kiss, but not lacking the heat I always felt when touching Edward. I felt him open his mouth before his tongue invaded my own. The moan escaped before I could stop it and it seemed to spur him on. Suddenly I felt him push me up against the side of the house, right next to the front door. My hands reached into his hair, grasping fist fulls to draw him closer.

Suddenly a throat clearing caused us to break apart, our breathing a bit labored.

We turned toward the noise to find my father standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, knowing this probably wasn't helping our case.

"I think that was a long enough goodbye. Get in the house Bella. Now." He turned on his feel and walked back into the house.

I sighed and hugged myself to Edward again. He chuckled and kissed my head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I mock pouted. "I can't believe we're going along with his rules."

"Pertinence Bell. He'll loosen up. And there are always ways around rules," he said with a wink. "I'll see you later." With that he released his hold on me and slipped back towards his house.

I turned back to my house, irritated that I had mundane aspects such as homework, cleaning and cooking for Charlie on my list. I'd much rather be spending that with my lips permanently attached to Edward's.

--

**A/N: Let me know what you thought. :)**

**I don't know if I will have another update out before Christmas…highly doubtful. Therefore, I will take the time now to wish you all a Happy Holidays and I hope you get to spend it with loved ones. And if you don't celebrate the holiday…then I wish you a Happy New Year. Take care!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: This is the longest chapter yet for this story. A lot happens and we skip some time to help push the story along. There was a typo in the last chapter. I wrote Edward as seventeen…oops. He is eighteen. Outfits are up in my profile: http://blueeyedlamb(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

**Warning: Lemon ahead. About time, huh? And some language and a mention of underage drinking.**

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns the characters, but I think up the plot. **

--

Ch. 21

(BPOV)

After Edward and I finally talked things through and established what we were, the rest of the year quickly flew by us.

When Thanksgiving rolled around I began to feel incredibly lonely. Yes I had Edward now, but it was the first real family holiday without my mom around. Charlie was indifferent to what we did as long as he had football to tune in to…which pretty much left me with the task of cooking a huge dinner by myself for the first time.

The beginning of the holiday week started off with Emmett, Rosalie & Jasper's arrival. Luckily their professors had taken pity on the students and called off class.

They didn't arrive until after nightfall and the air was crisp. Most of the trees were completely bald of leaves now. Edward and I had spent our Sunday raking up the front of Charlie's house; we flirted and goofed around more then we did the job.

As soon as I saw Emmett, I had this overwhelming emotion bubble up in my chest. And when he scooped me up into one of his massive hugs, I felt a few tears escape. He had pulled away from me and a look of confusion crossed his face.

I let out a laugh and just told him how much I missed him. He truly was my brother in every way besides blood relation.

Alice freaked out when she saw Rosalie and Jasper…in very different ways. When she saw Rosalie they immediately began babbling about Black Friday and all the deals that they needed to jump on.

But then when that moment ended, her eyes turned towards Jasper. And this is where it gets interesting…

He was off to the side smoking and talking quietly with Edward. As soon as Alice looked his way, he stopped mid sentence and turned towards her to stare back. They did that for a minute and thirty seconds before she determinedly walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

I looked over to Edward and his face went from subdued shock to a deep scowl. I made my way over to him and wrapped my arm through his, tugging him into the house after his brother and Rosalie.

Alice and Jasper came in a few minutes later with huge smiles on their faces. Clearly they were seeing each other…or something along those lines. All I knew was that Alice was going to get interrogated by me on what the hell was going on.

Edward eventually relaxed his features once we gathered around and took turns playing Rock Band. Carlisle had taken the week off from the hospital, so he was home to barbeque for us all. I reluctantly went home that night with leftovers for Charlie truly wishing I had a big family.

By Wednesday my mood hadn't improved very much. Edward was extra attentive, most likely picking up on why I was in a foul mood. I had gone to the store and managed to get most of the supplies…but I began to panic when there were no more turkeys. One of the employees told me that I was basically an idiot for waiting till the eve of Thanksgiving to get the main dish. How was I supposed to know that? Renee had always been the one to take care of it all.

I left the store with only half of my shopping list. I tried to fight back the tears as I drove back toward my house, but I just couldn't keep them at bay. I called Edward up and asked him if I could come over for a bit. He knew that I was upset and agreed immediately. I felt bad for worrying him, especially when nothing was really wrong.

I pulled into the Cullen's driveway where I found Edward sitting on the front steps. I slowly walked over to him with my head down, suddenly feeling stupid for my behavior.

He didn't say anything when I sat beside him, only lifting his arm as a sign for me to snuggle against his side.

A cigarette was pulled from behind the ear opposite of where I was leaning against. He lifted it to his lips and produced a lighter, the red sparks immediately lighting up the darkness.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a quiet tone. I watched as he took a drag, held it for a moment before exhaling the smoke through his nose.

"I waited too long to get a turkey."

He sighed and handed me the cigarette. I instantly took a drag and basked in the effects of the nicotine.

"You were crying over that?"

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I think it's a mixture of everything. Sorry I freaked you out…I really don't know what's wrong."

He was silent for a few moments as he finished the cig and stamped it out on the driveway. "You should talk to Dr. McPherson and see if she will adjust your prescription. That may be part of the problem."

I thought about it for a moment and was convinced he was probably right.

"I just got so lonely all of the sudden…which is ridiculous because I have you now."

Before he could answer we both heard a noise come from the front door. Turning, we caught sight of Esme peaking her head out the front door.

She looked incredibly sad before clearing her features and offering a kind smile. "Bella, dear. Would you and Charlie want to join us for Thanksgiving? I've bought so much food and it would be no trouble at all to have two more important people join us."

I looked to Edward to see him smiling. I nodded my head slowly, a smile of my own breaking free. "Thank you Esme…we would love to join you. Can I bring anything?"

"Only yourself sweetie. We plan to eat around two in the afternoon."

With that she stepped back into the house and closed the door quietly behind her.

"She heard what we were talking about…" I mumbled.

"Probably. But I think she was planning on calling over to your house tonight anyways to invite you. She realizes how hard the holidays are probably going to be on you…especially this year."

We were silent for a few more moments before I kissed him goodbye and made my way home.

The next day Charlie and I made our way next door and not only were we eating with the Cullen's, but with the Hale siblings too. I guess Rose and Jasper's parents were in the Mediterranean somewhere…caring less about their children.

Esme refused any help but did force the boys into setting the table and washing the dishes. Watching Edward do something that he was told to do made Charlie glow all afternoon. Thankfully he was friendly and even got into a debate over football with Edward after dinner.

--

December quickly approached and brought a very snowy winter for the state of Washington. The temperature was low and it was raining so much that it quickly turned to snow and the roads pretty much froze over.

Forks High wanted to continue to torture us by staying open. At one point the heater totally crapped out, sending us all home halfway through the day.

Finally our two week break began and I found myself taking multiple trips up to Port Angeles and Seattle with Alice to Christmas shop.

I was much happier this time around because not only had my dosage changed to balance out my moods, but Esme had wasted no time in inviting us to once again join them for the holidays. Charlie politely declined but told me to go over there once our gift exchange was complete that morning.

With that mixture and how busy Edward and Alice kept me, I didn't have too much time to dwell on my mom's absence.

There was only one problem that I was having a hard time forgetting about.

Edward and I had technically been together for over two months and we still had not had sex. I wasn't used to taking it slow with someone…but I continuously reminded myself that Edward was different. This would have worked if I didn't want him so badly. I never felt like this for someone before and those feelings only intensified my desire for him.

I knew he wanted me too. In fact, he had become increasingly more attentive towards me since Thanksgiving. Something had shifted for him in the course of that month between holidays…but no matter how many times I asked, he would uncharacteristically blush and mumble an excuse that I would never be able to hear.

After the shopping was done and the decorations were completely put up, Alice took Rosalie and I shopping in Seattle for New Years Eve dresses.

Carlisle and Esme threw a huge party every year for the hospital, friends and donators complete with fireworks at midnight.

Edward had shyly invited me to be his date. Charlie had been invited, but since it was a holiday he was doing the overnight shift. Alice, being the fashion guru that she was, managed to find all the perfect dresses. She claimed that mine would cause Edward's jaw to drop as he went caveman on my ass. Her words, not mine.

On Christmas morning Charlie and I quietly exchanged gifts at home before I made my way next door. Charlie strode towards his cruiser in full uniform since he volunteered for Christmas day shift and I walked up the Cullen drive in my pajamas as instructed by Alice.

Esme had made cinnamon rolls and Alice was hyped out about the presents, claiming that she wanted to play Santa Claus.

We all sat around (Edward immediately hugged me to his side) watching Alice hand out all of the gifts. My eyes grew large as my pile began to grow to almost as big as Alice, Emmett & Edward's piles. Esme noticed and smiled softly, motioning for me to open them.

I received gift cards, a day spa certificate to go with Alice and Rosalie, a beautiful black pair of stiletto heels that I knew I would be wearing with my New Years dress and several rare books that I had been searching for.

Alice thrusted a beautifully wrapped gift towards me…her eyes alight with excitement. I tentatively opened the wrapping to find a deep blue box with a metal clasp holding the opening closed. Wrapped around the clasp was a beautiful satin white ribbon. I looked up at her curiously before looking back down and carefully opening the clasp of the box. I slide the contents out of the box and what I saw stopped me in my tracks, tears immediately springing to my eyes.

Lying in my hands was a scrapbook of the same blue as the box with a black and white picture of my mom and me smiling goofily into the camera the last time Alice visited me in Phoenix.

"Oh Alice…" I whispered, looking up to her. I noticed that her eyes along with Esme's were glazed with unshed tears, cautious smiles on their lips.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Very much…" I opened the book and looked through baby pictures, letters my mom had written to me while I was visiting Charlie, pictures of Charlie and Renee when they were still together, pictures of me with each of them, goofy pictures of Alice and I on our summer trips and then finally several pictures of Edward and I. "How did you get all of these?"

"Charlie helped me…a lot came from my own collection of us and you with Edward. I didn't go overboard did I?"

I sprang from my seat and threw myself at her. "Never. This was perfect Ali. I love you so much…"

"I love you too Bell…you know I do."

We hugged for a few more minutes before I pulled back and retreated to sit next to a smiling Edward. He rubbed my arm soothingly before taking the book, placing it back in its box before gently placing it on top of our pile of opened gifts.

Edward and I exchanged gifts last when everybody had gone to grab the rolls from the kitchen.

I had gotten him a cleaning kit for his motorcycle, a new pair of riding boots and a key to my balcony doors. He gave me a devilish smile at that one since he had only spent the night at my house that one time and we hadn't really discussed how to get around my dad's stupid rules.

He must have been on the same wave length as me because I got a pair of riding boots with our initials embroidered into each side of both boots. I also opened up a black helmet with red specks splashed into it to create a sparkling effect.

When I thought we were done, he pulled a small wrapped box from behind him. I knew at once that it was jewelry. I eyed him as I took it from him and discovered it was a Tiffany's box. Inside was a charm bracelet with a key and a heart hanging along side each other. I immediately put it on and kissed his face repeatedly.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of laziness, good food, laughter and video games. I cradled my scrapbook most of the day, occasionally looking through the pictures of my mom.

--

I was pretty nervous about tonight…the thought of getting dressed up and hanging out with well to-do people didn't sit well with me. Despite that, I felt this underlying nervousness that had nothing to do with a negative aspect…something was going to happen tonight, and it was going to change a lot of things in my life.

So with that feeling, I graciously allowed Alice to go to town on my hair and make-up before the party. If I was going to play the part of someone that belonged in that world, then I was determined to at least look like I did.

I grew up with a small town cop and a hippie for parents. The only events that I had attended that remotely resembled the Cullen party would be a few of the charity banquets that Phil took Renee and me to for his baseball functions. Even then I wasn't expected to wear an expensive dress and get my hair done by a professional.

"So what exactly do I need to expect tonight?" I asked.

Alice huffed as she ran the straightener through my hair once more. "Like I said…we are having a catered dinner where Carlisle can schmooze with the other doctors and the donators to different charities he supporters. After that there will be dancing and a hell of a lot of drinking. We just have to be there for the dinner…after that, its free game."

"Sounds easy enough."

We sat there in silence as she twirled around me. I wanted to ask her something, it was on the tip of my tongue…but I wasn't sure how she would take it.

"Spit it out," she said suddenly.

My eyes shot up to meet hers in the mirror. "What…how did you…?"

"Your forehead is going to get early wrinkles if you concentrate too hard. Now tell me what you were thinking about."

"It's just that…well, I wanted to know about you and Jasper," I mumbled.

"What about us?"

"Well obviously something is going on. Are you dating? Friends with benefits?"

She stopped all movements before speaking. "We are seeing each other. No titles have been established, but we are exclusive."

"Really? When did this all happen?" I asked with a smile on my face.

"After he left for Seattle. We had been talking for a bit before, but I didn't say anything about my feelings until the night before he left."

I couldn't help but go back to the first weekend that I arrived in Forks and the kiss that Jasper and I shared. It was right before Alice revealed herself to him…and I suddenly felt guilty, though I wasn't quite sure why.

"I kind of sensed something shifting that night we said goodbye to them."

I felt her move around to the front of me. She leaned against the counter and set down the brush before crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know Bella."

I looked at her in confusion. "Know what?"

"About what happened between the two of you…" she answered.

I groaned. "Look Alice…it was my first full day here, he as the first person that I met. Seriously…it meant nothing. He's just a buddy."

She gave a quiet laugh. "I know, silly. He told me the same thing. And I feel pretty secure in whatever we are. And the way you are with my brother…"

My cheeks warmed up at the mention of Edward. I had been thinking a lot about my feelings lately. Something had changed over the holidays. The way he looked at me when I came into a room, or how he jumped at the chance to let me be a part of his family holidays.

"He's pretty great."

"I think you're in love with him," she stated simply.

"What? Um…"

"Don't deny it. Just think about it for a second…the look in your eyes says it all."

"Am I that obvious?" I asked as I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth.

"I'm your best friend…I'm supposed to notice these things. He's a guy, so it might not be as easy for him to spot."

She dropped it after that and finished getting me ready before she ran back home to change herself. I slipped on the heels that I had received for Christmas and did one final look in the mirror.

Alice had straightened my hair before putting big curls back into it and pinning it halfway up. My dress was silver and black, with a halter tied around my neck. The bodice was sequined and a black sash wrapped around the middle before flowing down into a silver satin.

I slipped on matching bracelets as the doorbell rang. Charlie was already on duty for the night so I had to be the one to get the door.

I opened it to find Edward in a fitted black tux, with a silver and black plaid tie neatly settled within its creases. His hair was beautifully tousled and he was a far cry from the guy who rode the motorcycle.

I instantly felt my knees go a little weak at the thought that he was mine.

His face broke out in a crooked smile. "Hey beautiful…just look at you."

I inhaled his scent as he stepped into the entryway and engulfed me in a hug.

"Look at you," I sighed.

"I know…I look fucking ridiculous."

"Shut up, you do not. Quite the opposite really." I reached out and fixed his tie a little, patting it before letting go. He grasped my hand and held it over his heart, looking at me very intently. Slowly he leaned in and captured my lips, nibbling on the flesh.

"I've got something for you," he said between kisses.

"Oh?"

I leaned back and watched him reach into his pant pocket. A dark blue box appeared in his hand. My mind started churning with what it could possibly be. He slowly opened up the double opening to present two beautiful diamond stud earrings.

"For me?" I whispered as I ran my fingers over the large diamonds.

"Do you like them?"

"Oh yeah. But why did you get them?"

"I originally had them for Christmas, but the order didn't get to the house in time. So I figured I would just wait until New Years. I think they would go great with your dress."

After they were placed on my ears, I turned towards the hall mirror and admired them. They twinkled in what little light was offered.

"Come on…let's get this party started," Edward said, lifting my overnight bag easily and grasping my hand in his other.

We shuffled out the front door and I spotted his Vanquish idling in the driveway.

"Do you ever feel silly about having to drive from my house to yours?" I inquired when Edward finally climbed into the driver's seat.

"No. You have on heels and showing too much skin for winter. I don't need you freezing to death on that huge ass hill."

Within minutes he parked in the garage and hurried around to help me out of my side.

The house was still decorated in beautifully done Christmas lights. The only difference was the path that led around the side of the house that was lit by white, twinkling lights. I assumed it led to the pool area where the party would most likely be taking place.

Instead of heading that way, we went right through the front door. Edward told me Alice and Esme were in the kitchen and ran my bag up to his bedroom.

"Oh Bella! You look spectacular dear," Esme exclaimed as soon as I walked into the kitchen.

I smiled and took in her beautiful caramel hair that was wrapped in an up-do and the midnight blue dress that sparkled in the light. "I think you're pretty spectacular yourself."

Edward joined us shortly after with Jasper. They both really did look great all dressed up, but I preferred the leather jackets and worn-in jeans.

We entered what was usually the pool area, but it was covered by a custom fit dance floor. Several long tables that were beautifully laid out sat along one side. People were milling about until Esme and Carlisle walked into the room. Edward guided me over to a few seats that had our names sitting on plates. We were surrounded by the younger crowd and I quickly noticed Lauren and Tanya down a ways sitting next to Mike. My lip curled in dislike when Edward noticed.

"Their parents are associated with mine. Ignore them; they can't ruin our night babe."

Dinner went smoothly as we ate a three course meal. We were allowed to partake in the champagne being poured alongside the food and I had drank two full glasses by the time we all stood.

The music turned up slightly and people began to dance or mingle once more.

It was about an hour later when I found myself chatting with Alice and Rosalie when I felt fingertips trailing along my shoulder blades. I shivered at the contact and turned to find Edward gazing at me with dark, green eyes.

He wordlessly took my hand and I followed without even looking at the girls. They would figure out I wasn't returning to the conversation.

He walked through the crowd and in through the kitchen, the closing of the door cutting off the sound immediately.

Edward didn't pause until we were through his bedroom door. Once it closed, he pushed me up against the wood, trapping my body with his. His breathing was slightly labored and his eyes were somewhat dilated in the soft light coming from outside.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Perfect. I just saw you standing there and I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I just can't Bella…" he whispered, his fingers softly running over my cheeks and lips.

My voice caught in my throat and I felt an overwhelming emotion tugging at my heart. I gripped his hair in my hands, pulling his face to mine. My lips devoured his in a heated kiss and this time I elicited a moan from him.

I pulled away when we both needed to breathe. He held my gaze, searching for something…

"Edward…I…" My breathing was getting ridiculous but I truly did feel overwhelmed. Tears pricked my eyes and I had to close them for a moment to center myself. And in that moment, I knew that the emotion was.

"Edward…I _love _you…" I said quietly.

He didn't move. He didn't blink. He didn't even look like he was breathing.

Suddenly I was pulled away from the door and my feet were no longer on the ground. Edward had picked me up and hugged me tightly to him. I felt his breath near my ear as he buried his face in my curls.

"I love you too Bella."

He set me down and I looked at him wide eyed…not fully believing that I heard him right.

"You do?" I said full of emotion.

He nodded frantically, his smile lighting up his entire face.

"How long?" I asked.

(EPOV)

I pulled Bella over to my bed, exhilaration flying through me. Admitting my feelings gave me more of an adrenaline rush then being on my bike.

After we sat side by side, I pulled both her warm hands into my own.

"Bella…there is something you don't know." I sighed and tried to work up the courage to tell her.

"What do you mean?" Her brow furrowed with worry.

Instead of answering right away, I leaned across to my nightstand and pulled out several items, handing them to her.

She studied them for a moment, the worry lines still there.

"Edward…why do you have pictures that Alice took of me?"

"Um…it started a few years ago. A little over two years ago I came back from summer camp to find pictures of you all over Alice's room. For some reason I felt this pull to you, even if it was a picture. So I…um…kind of lifted it from her copies and kept it for myself. I thought about you all the time and I felt like I was losing my mind over some girl that I barely remembered. Then the next summer rolled around and once again I missed you when you came to visit. More pictures had been taken…more to add to my collection…" I clued her in on just how long I had held a flame for her.

"And when we went to the baseball game is when I felt my feelings start to run deeper. It wasn't until we aired all of our problems that I knew I was beginning to fall in love with you. I didn't tell you before because I didn't know how you felt," I mumbled. I looked up at her, unsure of how she took my stalker-level fascination with her.

"You've liked me for that long?" she asked.

I nodded my head and slowly pulled her free hand back into mine.

"Are you upset?" I asked.

"I think it's a bit odd…but no. I actually find it kind of charming."

My heart felt free for the first time in ages and it was thanks to this beautiful girl sitting in front of me.

I licked my lips and scooted until our knees were touching. She leaned into me slightly and her breath hitched as I leaned closer to her.

I let go of her hand and pushed the pictures out of her grasp. My lips lightly trailed from the apple of her cheek and down until I met her lips. My hands knotted in her hair and I picked pins out of it, throwing them in the general vicinity of the nightstand.

"I want you Bella," I whispered.

"I want you too…always."

I stood up and brought her with me. I threw off my jacket and shoes before loosening my tie and throwing that with them on the ground. Esme would kill me if she knew how I was treating the Dolce and Gabbana, but that would have to wait.

Bella's fingers immediately began to unbutton my shirt as I tore off my socks. My fingers threaded in her hair again as I brought her lips back to mine. Were we rushing things? No, I didn't think so. This had been building for months…I just knew that I couldn't go another day without _being_ with her in every sense of the word.

My hands roamed to the back of her neck, slowly untying the straps that were keeping her dress in place. She finally got my buttons undone but it was hard to pull off with our lips connected. I reluctantly pulled away and shouldered out of the shirt.

I looked up and was a bit taken aback at Bella's newly exposed strapless bra. She smiled shyly when she noticed my perusal, not bothering to cover up. I returned her smile as I moved back towards her.

"Can we take the rest of this dress off?"

"Please."

My hands went to either side of her, grasping the soft material in my hands. I pulled it down pat her waist before letting it pool around her ankles.

She looked like a siren in black, lacy boyshorts and a matching strapless bra. The mess I made of her hair left her looking disheveled. I quickly unzipped my pants and flung them with the rest of my close before I slowly stalked towards her.

Instinct kicked in as I watched her climb on the bed, her eyes never leaving mine.

I crawled on after her, both us sitting on our knees.

"Come here," I said.

I reached for when she was close enough, our bodies slamming together. I reclaimed her lips as I flicked open her bra and felt it slip between us.

Her mouth opened to mine, our tongues battling for dominance. I pulled away causing her to pout. I chuckled lightly but stopped when I took in her bare upper half.

My hands cupped her just under her breasts…she looked as if she were made for me. "God you're beautiful."

I nudged her shoulder, signaling for her to lay back. Once she did as I requested I settled myself between her open legs…my hands once again going to her breasts. I looked up at her as I took a nipple into my mouth, rolling it around with my tongue. She broke eye contact as her back arched, pushing her further into my mouth. After I spent equal time on both, I kissed my way down her flat stomach, enjoying the soft skin.

I ran my fingers over her covered mound, eliciting a groan from Bella. I smiled and couldn't help the smugness at being able to make her feel this way. I didn't waste any time in discarding her panties and my boxers, finally leaving nothing between us.

I crawled back up to her and she leaned her head up to meet mine. The kiss was slow and the importance of this decision was felt heavily between us. I slid my hand down her stomach until I reach the apex of her thighs. I ran my fingers over her slick lower lips before settling on her clit.

"You're already wet babe…I haven't even done anything…" I marveled.

I felt her hand grasp my length, giving it a few strokes. "Please Edward…no teasing. I want you _now_."

The feel of her hand on me and the tone of her voice caused me to start panting. I pulled away from her thighs as she let go of my cock at the same time. She pulled herself up until her head was laying on my pillows. I once again settled between her open legs and about lost my shit when my dick hit her warm pussy.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, wanting her to be definite in her answer.

"Yes…" she groaned before eyeing me. "Fuck me…"

The animal in me returned at those words as I grasped her hips and entered her in one swift thrust. She let out a loud whimper as I groaned, overwhelmed with how tight and warm she felt around me.

"Shit…" I managed out as I began to thrust in and out of her.

The rhythm picked up as I began thrusting harder into her. The sound of her moans and mumbles of love fueled the inferno.

Bella pushed her palms over her head and into the headboard, causing her to slam into me.

I wanted to get deeper; it still didn't feel like I was close enough to her.

I sat back on my knees while pulling her hips up off the bed at the same time. I continued to thrust harder and I felt the veins in my neck begin to throb from the pleasure shooting through my spine.

She looked fucking gorgeous spread out for me, wrapped around me, all around.

Her legs tightly encircled my hips as I felt her walls begin to clench around me.

"Fuck…a-almost there," she moaned.

I slid a finger over her clit, rubbing it in time with my thrusts.

"Come for me Isabella…all over me. Let me feel you…"

That seemed to be the trigger as her entire back practically left the bed and her arms clawed at the headboard. I felt spasms ripple through her and clench around my cock. This triggered my own orgasm and I buried myself deep in her as I too fell off the edge.

I rolled off of her as I came down from my high, pulling her to my side.

"That was fucking beautiful," I mumbled into her hair.

"Mhmm…"

We laid there in silence for awhile. My mind was bouncing all over the place; this was the first time I actually cared about the person. That made me sound like a bastard, but Bella was the first girl I loved and hopefully the last. The other girls were just a way to ease the ache…

"Oh shit…" I groaned.

Bella sat up, running her hand over my chest. "What?"

"Bell…I didn't use a condom."

She just blinked at me as if I were dense.

"I'm on the pill Edward."

"Oh. It's just not like me to go without one…"

"So I'm the only one you've been with without one?" she inquired.

"Yes…and it felt amazing. It's never felt like before."

She giggled and settled back into my side, sighing in contentment.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you too Edward."

I kissed her head as the dark sky outside suddenly lit up. Reds, blues and other bright colors outlined my bedroom window.

We watched what we could from the bed and I couldn't help but be thankful for the start of the new year with the love of my life by my side.

"Happy New Year babe."

"Happy New Year…"

After the sky had gone dark I heard Bella's breathing pick up as she fell asleep. I maneuvered us under the covers and wrapped her in my arms as I too fell into unconsciousness.

--

**A/N: Aw…so much happiness. Will it last? Leave a review for this monster and thanks for reading! **

**Oh and I have a new one-shot called "Telluride". It's an ExB story that will be sure to heat up your winter. ;) Go check it out if you're interested. **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Just a quick note. I'm writing this as if they are in the 2008-2009 school year. So keep that in mind with the dates mentioned below.

**Disclaimer: **S. Meyer owns…as usual. But I come up with the shenanigans these kids get caught up in.

**Warning: Lemon ahead.**

--

Ch. 22

I quietly slipped through the front door the next morning. It was still relatively early but Edward and I had fell asleep right at the stroke of midnight.

I had woken up with the sun and reveled in watching Edward sleep for a few minutes before getting out of bed. I found Esme in the kitchen after getting dressed and sat with her while we each drank a cup of coffee. I went back up to Edward's room to retrieve my bag and found that he had buried his face in the pillow I had slept on. Smiling, I pecked his cheek and made my way home.

That led me to quietly making my way into my house figuring Charlie was asleep after his graveyard shift. Imagine my surprise when I looked into the living room and found him sitting in his chair, staring intently at something in his lap.

I dropped my bag near the stairs and quietly walked into the room. He was still in his uniform though he had untucked his shirt into a more relaxed fit.

Gently laying my hand on his shoulder, he started slightly and looked up at me. I noticed immediately that his eyes were rimmed red.

"Dad, are you okay?"

He cleared his throat, "Oh, uh yeah. Just being silly."

My eyes landed on what he was holding. It was a faded picture of my mom when she was younger, most likely from when they were first married.

My heart clenched a little when I realized what a selfish person that I was. I always knew Charlie carried a torch for Renee long after their divorce. He got along with Phil alright, but they weren't bosom buddies or anything.

He missed her. Of course he did. And because he knew I was having so much trouble with her passing, he never said anything about himself.

I sagged heavily on the armrest before running my fingers lightly over her face.

"You miss her."

"Yeah. Your mom was a lot of things but the one constant was the love I felt for her. And your old man gets lonely sometimes," he sighed. I watched him swallow thickly.

"I'm sorry I've been so clueless. I should have realized that you were sad about moms passing too."

"You're my number one priority Bells. I knew that you were hurting, which is why I strongly suggested the therapy. Anything I am or was feeling is pushed to the back burner. When you become a parent, you'll understand."

He gave me a small smile while patting my thigh lightly.

"Dad…I'm really sorry for being so rotten the past few months. I'm going to try harder…it's time for me to grow up."

"Don't worry about it kid. I can see that you're doing better and I can sleep better at night knowing that."

"I do feel happier. I'm not entirely healed and I don't think I ever will be. But I don't want to spend the rest of my life afraid to fall asleep or live in a bubble."

"And you shouldn't," he mumbled. "Changing the subject how was the party?"

My cheeks immediately flamed up and I was thankful that the daylight hadn't filled the living room with too much light yet. "Really good. Esme did a beautiful job with the decorating and the food was really good."

"I'm glad to hear it. Thank the Cullen's for me for allowing you to go, will ya?"

"Of course dad. You should get some sleep…you must be exhausted."

"I think I will." I got up and allowed him to move from his chair. I followed him to the stairs, intent on going in my room. "What are you going to do with your day?"

"Probably sleep. Still exhausted from the party and I only have a few days left of break."

"Okay. So I guess I will see you sometime tonight?" he asked.

"Sure. I will make us a nice dinner. How does that sound?" I asked as we reached the second floor landing.

He gave a yawn before answering. "I'd like that. Goodnight…good day…whichever you prefer."

I watched as he walked down to the opposite end of the hall, closing his bedroom door behind him. Then I turned towards my room and opened the door. I had my head down as I threw my bag on the ground and shut the door behind me. Finally looking up, I gave a little gasp.

There, on my bed, laid Edward sprawled eagle in the middle. He had the biggest shit eating grin on his face that I had ever seen and he never looked so hot.

"What are you doing here?" I said with a smile.

"You weren't there when I woke up…" he pouted.

"I kissed you goodbye. Not my fault you were completely passed out. I must've done a number on you last night."

I sat at the edge of the bed and ran my fingers through his messy hair. I felt his arm wrap around my waist and the next thing I knew I was laying on my side beside him.

"You weren't there when I woke up…" he repeated quietly, looking down at me with the same pout.

"Well you got to use your key didn't you?" I teased.

"Mmhmm." He rubbed his nose softly against mine before pecking my lips.

"You're such a softy now," I giggled.

He shrugged. "I'm a taken man now…my wild, single days are over."

"I love you," I said shyly…just slightly nervous at saying it to him in the day light.

"I love you too."

I shifted to where I was laying flush on top of him. His hands automatically went to my ass, giving it a small pinch. As I shifted once again to get comfortable I accidentally rubbed against a rather excited part of him.

"Did I leave you hanging this morning?" I said with a chuckle. My hand ran between us until I came to the waistband of his sweats. His hand closed around mine before I could get much further.

"Don't start something you won't finish," he growled.

I leaned over to his ear and bit the lobe lightly before whispering, "Who said I wouldn't want to finish?"

I felt him release my hand allowing me to continue my intended path. I slipped into his pants and boxers and wrapped my hand around warm, hard flesh. I gave him a few firm strokes before I moved down his body. I pulled my hand away from him, only to settle back on his waistband.

I looked up at him and I suddenly got wetter. He was biting his bottom lip and his eyes were focused on my hands, not even blinking.

Smiling to myself, I turned my attention back to his pants and slowly pulled them down passed his ass, his thighs and finally his ankles.

"Is the door locked?" he asked in a gruff voice.

I shook my head and retreated from the bed quickly to do just that.

Once back on the bed, I settled on my knees between his legs. I grasped his cock tightly in my hand before leaning in and licking the tip. I tasted his pre-cum, spreading it around. I licked up the underside of his shaft before taking him deeper down my throat. I felt his hands pull my hair out of the hair tie before fisting it tightly in his grip.

"Holy shit…" he mumbled.

I looked up under my eye lashes and saw the intense concentration on Edward's face as he watched me slip him in and out of my mouth. I pumped my hand in tune with my mouth, feeling him growing even harder in my grasp.

"I'm going to fucking cum Bella…" he warned

I nodded my head and felt him hit the back of my throat. He began thrusting himself into my mouth in the rhythm that he needed to be at, whispering things that I couldn't understand.

Finally he stilled his movements and I lifted my eyes once again as I watched him come apart. I felt him deep within my throat and I quickly swallowed. He had closed his eyes and his mouth hung open slightly, looking completely spent.

I popped him out of my mouth and crawled back up to him. He wrapped his arms limply around me as I kissed his neck.

"I just came like it was my first time…I swear I usually last longer then that," he mumbled into my hair.

"Shush."

I slipped out of his grasp and silently removed my clothing. By the time I climbed back on top of the bed Edward was hard again.

He silently pulled me on top again and thrust into me without warning. I tried to stay quiet as he wrapped his arms around my hips, forcing me to stay at a slow pace. I began to get warmer as we continued, only whispered sighs passing through us. I collapsed on top of him in a sweaty mess as he continued to move inside me.

"You feel so good around me Bella…I never want to be anywhere else," he whispered.

"Oh god…Edward…please…" I gasped.

"Tell me what you want baby."

"I need to come."

Suddenly I was on my back and I felt Edward push back into me. I opened my eyes and locked them with his. His hair was wet from the sweat and his biceps bulged at the strain to stay in control

He picked up the pace as one of his hands began to rub my clit furiously. I let out a choked sob knowing that I should try to stay quieter. I felt my release come fast and hard, clenching around his cock.

He followed soon after, pushing his face into the crook of my neck to muffle his sounds.

We were both spent as he rolled off of me before wrapping me in his embrace. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was his murmured 'I love you' and the covers cocooning us in warmth.

--

I was shaken awake as my bed shifted. I blinked a few times and noticed that it looked quite a bit darker then the last time I was conscious. I rolled over and watched Edward silently slip on his clothes before he walked into my bathroom. A few moments later I saw him reenter my room and he smiled when he noticed that I was awake.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It's fine. How long have we been out?"

"For almost five hours, baby. I wore you out," he said.

"No, I think I wore you out." I punched him playfully in the stomach.

"We'll just agree to disagree then. But I should get going before Charlie comes banging on your door."

I pouted because I didn't want to be away from him.

He rain his hand through my tangled hair, a soft smile on his face. "I'll be back later…spend time with your dad."

I kissed him goodbye and watched as he successfully scaled the side of my house.

--

We'd been back in school for a month now and the freezing temperatures were finally starting to ease up.

As we entered the month of February, the mood in school became more excitable because the summer was closer then ever. I for one was looking forward to graduating and getting out of Forks. Edward and I still hadn't discussed what our plans together were after school. I wanted to go to school and was waiting to hear from the places I applied to but I somehow doubted that school was a major priority for Edward, despite how smart he was.

I was interrupted out of my musings when I heard the cafeteria chair next to me scrape across the linoleum floor. I looked up and noticed that Edward was finally joining me with a tray of food.

"I thought you didn't eat lunch at school?" I inquired.

"I don't…I got you a salad. It actually looks fresh today."

I looked down at the tray and noticed the salad and my favorite dressing on the side. Two bottles of Lipton sat side-by-side.

"Aww…you got me lunch. Looking out for my needs," I teased.

He rolled his eyes and twisted the cap off of one of the teas.

Alice wasn't anywhere to be found, most likely talking to Jasper during her break. She recently started doing that after he left to go back to Seattle.

Edward cleared his voice. "So Valentine's Day is this Saturday."

"Yep."

"Would you…uh…be up to doing something? Like a date?"

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise. You'll have to wait and see," he said in a sing-song voice

"You're kidding right? You know how much I _love _surprises," I said sarcastically.

"Too bad…"

"Fine."

Even though I gave him a hard time, I was secretly looking forward to what he was planning.

On Thursday after school, Edward dropped me off as usual but said he wasn't going to be able to hang out that afternoon.

"Why?" I whined.

"I'm going to take my bike up to Seattle and see Jasper."

I momentarily panicked before pushing it away, knowing how silly I was being.

"Okay…you'll wear your helmet though, right?" I asked, hugging myself to him.

"Yeah. I'll do it for you," he sighed, kissing my temple.

I waved goodbye to him before turning and going back inside. I busied myself with finishing up my homework so I was free for the weekend. Charlie came home and mentioned that it was odd not seeing Edward there. They seemed to be getting along better then usual, making my life a lot easier.

I cooked a big dinner and even invited Alice over. She kept Charlie's complete attention the whole time, going on about graduation and prom. I cringed because I really didn't want to go to a school function such as the prom…but I knew I would have no say in the matter if Alice had anything to do about it.

I walked her down to the end of my drive-way noticing that the temperature had dropped and a light drizzle was beginning.

"Tell your brother to come over when he gets home." It was no secret with Alice that Edward often disappeared in the middle of the night.

"Sure. I'll see you in the morning."

I suddenly got another sense of dread as I walked back up to the house, but I couldn't understand why.

I finished cleaning up and showered before I found myself crawling in to bed just after ten o'clock. I kept my eyes trained on my balcony doors, needing Edward to cuddle with.

I must've fallen asleep because I was jolted awake by the sound of the house phone ringing. The rain was coming harder now, the splatter ringing nosily on the roof. I stumbled out of bed and met Charlie on the landing. He led the way down to the phone. I watched his face as he went from tired to fully alert. He suddenly turned to me and handed me the phone.

I shakily took it from him, feeling that sense of unease again.

"Hello?" I asked warily.

"Bella!" Esme's frantic voice rang out.

"Esme? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh Bella…you need to get to Port Angeles Memorial Hospital as soon as you can."

--

**A/N: **Okay…EPOV is going to be next. We will find out what's going on. I looked over the outline of this story and there are about two more regular chapters and then an epilogue. So I just wanted to warn you that we are coming to an end soon. I will get the next one out as soon as I can.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **S. Meyer owns. I just think up the plot.

**A/N at the bottom. Please read.**

--

Ch. 23

(EPOV)

I wove through the crowded corridors of the dorm, making my way towards Jasper's room. I had only been here once, which was at the beginning of the year.

Two blondes blatantly tried to stop me in my tracks but I quickly side-stepped them and continued on my way.

Finally arriving at the designated door, I gave it a firm knock. Music was thumping from within the room and I heard feet dragging towards the door before it finally opened.

"Hey man, come on in." Jasper stepped aside so that I could enter the messy room.

"Do you ever clean this place? Looks the same as the last time I was here."

"_Yes _I clean…not my fault if it all ends up back on the ground again."

I didn't comment since it was his fault that the room looked the way it did. They weren't overly large living spaces and his felt even more like a shoebox with the random shit lying around.

"So…you want me to help you pick something out for Bella?" Jasper inquired while he pulled on my boots.

"I wanted to see you too, so I'm killing two birds with one stone. Now hurry the fuck up, the parking fees here are ridiculous."

Jasper stood but stopped when he looked at me again. "What the hell is that?"

I looked down to my hand, noticing the helmet. "What?"

"When did you start wearing that?"

"Look, it's not my first choice. But I promised Bella and I can see where she's coming from. I wouldn't let her get on it without one."

He shrugged before grabbing his keys and wallet, motioning for me to head back out.

So far the weather had cooperated with my travel plans and I hoped that it stayed that way until I made it back to Forks.

I slipped the helmet back on and rumbled the bike to life. I slipped into traffic where Jasper pulled up alongside me.

Once out of the main part of campus, I weaved through the streets toward a specific store. I did want to see Jasper which is why I suggested that he come run the errand with me. The trip was mostly about a Valentine's Day gift for Bella that I had to pick up.

We pulled into the small parking lot of the trinket shop that I found while researching on the internet.

"So what exactly did you order for her? She already has jewelry from you…she may flip if you get her anything else so soon after Christmas," Jasper said, pulling open the shop door.

"I didn't get her jewelry, though I came close again. She deserves beautiful things."

I gave a small wave to the woman behind the counter before I turned to browse through the store. It was an odd place to belong in downtown Seattle, but it had the type of charm that I was looking for Bella.

"Did you get anything for my sister?" I asked.

"Uh…what?"

"Don't play dumb. We've already established something was going on with you two. Now are you guys doing anything for Valentine's Day?" I asked again.

"I'm going to surprise her by coming home for the weekend. Actually, I wanted to see if you were okay with me riding back with you?"

"Yeah, that's cool."

"I got her jewelry…for the holiday," he mumbled, picking up a picture frame to read the scripture.

"I'm sure she'll love it. You know how she likes flashy things."

We were silent as we browsed, but I didn't find anything that I wanted to add to my purchase.

"May I help you boys?" the older woman asked as we reached the counter.

"Yeah. I actually have a pick up…for Edward Cullen."

She nodded and disappeared in a back room. After a few moments she emerged with a medium sized box. Setting it on the counter, she opened up the package and began pulling out the contents.

She handed the first item to me, which I unwrapped from its protective packaging. It was a picture album that was customized towards my specifications. I got the idea from Alice's scrapbook, but I wanted something that was strictly about Bella and I. The front had our names engraved with a carved heart splayed underneath. I sent several pictures to the company to have them placed within the album. The front picture was taken right after we became exclusive. I flipped the cover and made note of the other pictures placed. The album contained titles of events written in calligraphy…most waiting to be filled.

I rewrapped it before picking up the other item. It was a lot smaller and heavier to hold. I un-wrapped it and found a jagged glass heart with our initials etched into the glass and the date of our first date.

"These are great," I said with a smile.

She rang me up and double-wrapped the items for me since I would have to stick them in my saddlebags.

Jasper and I stopped for a quick bite to eat before heading back to his room so he could grab his bag.

When we finally got on the road, the night was very chilly and we felt the light drizzle beginning.

I looked over to Jasper and we silently agreed to get back to Forks as fast as possible. We didn't run into much traffic once we got out of the city, only having to slow down through the towns. Unfortunately a heavy downpour began around Sequim. We pulled off because I had to refuel the bike and I needed an energy drink.

"It's starting to get really cold." Jaspers breath rose above us in the frosty air.

"I know…let me just hurry and put some gas in the bike, then we can go."

Ten minutes later we were leaving the city limits of Sequim behind and immediately entering the dark Washington night.

I was cursing myself for not wearing heavier clothes or just taking my car. The past week had been very favorable riding conditions and of course the one night I decided to do it…

It was later then I thought it was by the time we drove into the city limits of Port Angeles. I wanted to try and see Bella. The rain was still going strong and I had a feeling we would have another snow fall from this storm.

I could hear Jasper tailing me, playfully swerving within the lane. I smiled to myself because I knew he was excited to see my sister. At first I wasn't too thrilled about them being together but so far he had treated her with respect, despite the distance. Even though Alice was always happy person before Jasper, the difference in her was amazing. I imagined she looked to me as Bella looked to everyone. Both girls were happy…and I couldn't suppress the grin because I knew that I had a hand in Bella's.

My mind went back to the day before when we had snuck off during lunch to make-out in the backseat of my car. The smell of her strawberry scented shampoo swirling around us and settling into the interior of the car. I wanted to bottle that scent up and keep it in my pocket, taking a Bella hit whenever I needed it. Yeah it sounded a bit fucked up, but it was safe to say that I was addicted to everything about my girl.

Her hair had been really soft, falling around her shoulders and tickling my jaw as our lips collided together…

Suddenly I was ripped from my thoughts when my bike felt like it lost traction on the road. I knew immediately that I had hit a patch of black ice. I was going too fast to get it under control and I felt my center of gravity give. Immediately I felt a burning sensation rip through me as my body collided with the ground and what felt like my bike landing on me.

The last thing I remember before losing consciousness was the squealing of another set of tires.

--

(BPOV)

The tires of Charlie's cruiser squealed in protest as he slammed on the breaks in the hospital parking lot.

I blindly threw the door open and rain through the rain towards the automatic opening doors. My tears partly blinded my path and I stumbled more times then usual during my trek.

My mind kept replaying Esme's frantic voice.

"_Hello?" I asked warily._

"_Bella!" Esme's frantic voice rang out._

"_Esme? What's wrong?" I asked. _

"_Oh Bella…you need to get to Port Angeles Memorial Hospital as soon as you can."_

_My heart began to beat heavy and fast. "Why? What happened?"_

"_It's Edward sweetie…he's been in an accident."_

_I felt my hand go slack on the phone before it collided with the kitchen floor. I stood there in shock not believing that I was put into this situation again._

_I heard Charlie's whispered voice in the background, most likely getting information._

"_I'll drive her Esme. She's in no state to do it herself."_

_I heard him hang up before his hand came to rest on my shoulder._

_It seemed to snap me out of my trance as I made eye contact with him. Immediately my eyes filled with tears and I gasped for breath._

"_Why is this happening again…"I managed out._

"_Bella. Listen to me. Go throw on some clothes and meet me down here in five minutes." He was using his cop voice on me, pushing me towards the stairs. _

_Somehow I managed to hold it together as I ran upstairs and threw on what I had worn to school. _

_As we pulled away from the drive-way and I looked at the Cullen house, the lights still blazing bright from their abrupt departure…I lost it._

"Can I help you?" a voice broke through the fog.

I turned toward a nurse who was sitting behind a desk.

"My boyfriend's been in an accident…last name is Cullen."

She told me that any trauma cases would be on the third floor. I rushed to the elevator, Charlie trailing behind me.

When we finally approached the floor, I barely allowed the doors to open before I flew through it. Instantly my eyes fell on Alice, who was huddled in a corner with Jasper.

Immediately a pair of arms wrapped around me and I knew instantly that it was Esme. I buried my face into her shoulder as we both shook with tears.

"What happened?"

"Edward and Jasper were coming back from Seattle. I guess there was a patch of black ice on the ground and Edward must've not been paying attention because he flew right over it. We're waiting for any news…Carlisle is in there with other doctors right now."

I drew away from her and sat next to Jasper on the hard plastic chairs. His eyes were tired and red as he threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his other side. I rested my head on his shoulder while I tried to calm myself down. Passing out from stress was not going to do anybody any good.

"Hey," Jasper whispered into my ear.

I looked up at him not able to say anything.

"He was wearing that helmet Bella. He said he wears it for you…and I believe deep down that he will make it through, whatever the injuries."

I tried to smile but knew it didn't quite look like that.

I watched everything in a daze…Charlie whispering with Esme in the corner…Alice's muttering on the other side of Jasper…my own heartbeat going way too fast to be normal.

Suddenly two doctors, one of them being Carlisle, quickly walked through the double doors and into the waiting room. We were all on our feet and crowding around them before they could utter a word.

Carlisle looked older then he ever had and I couldn't imagine how it must have felt to be your child's doctor in a situation such as this.

He held his hand up to quiet our questions. "Right now we put him under an induced coma. We still have him under critical condition, but are positive we can get him stabilized before morning. He has several road rashes on his body, mainly on his left thigh and right shoulder."

Carlisle stopped the list of injuries, too overcome with exhaustion and grief for his son. He motioned to a middle aged doctor, "Leo…do you mind telling them the rest?"

The other doctor stepped forward and sympathetically patted Carlisle on the shoulder. "I'm Dr. Niveria. When Edward lost control of the bike, it landed on his right leg, crushing his knee and tearing his ACL. He is being prepped for surgery as we speak. In my opinion, this young man is lucky to be alive. We don't know if there is any internal bleeding, which is partly the reason we are rushing him into surgery. The helmet he was wearing kept his skull from getting crushed in from impact with the ground. Now I can only allow family members to go see him for a minute before we take him to the operating room."

I was oddly quiet throughout the whole diagnosis, numb to my feelings. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. My mind was busy trying to comprehend all of this news that I didn't even hear the family-only rule.

"His girlfriend is here…can't she be an exception to the family rule?" Alice asked from behind me. We all looked to Carlisle, hoping he could throw his weight around a little.

He gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry guys…especially you Bella. Since I don't work here, I have very little jurisdiction about the rules. I promise that you can see him as soon as he is out of surgery and stabilized."

I nodded as a stray tear ran down my cheek. Esme and Alice gave me hugs before following Carlisle and Dr. Niveria behind the doors. I looked up only to find Jasper in the waiting room. I wasn't sure where Charlie disappeared to, but I figured it was to get coffee.

Jasper grasped my hand and guided me back over to the chairs. He settled his hands on my hips as he sat down, guiding my body to sit in his lap. It was there in his arms, cradling me from falling into myself, that I cried through my grief. Occasionally I felt him lightly kiss me on the top of my head, muttering comforting words to me.

Eventually Charlie wandered back in with a tray of steaming coffee only giving Jasper and I a quick glance before he reclaimed his seat. Not long after, Esme and Alice reemerged with red eyes, each clutching several tissues. Alice sat beside us, wrapping her arm around me and leaning on Jasper's shoulder. I heard voices but nothing seeped through.

Quietly we all sat waiting for any news…anything that would take this hurt away. A guy that I had fallen so deeply in love with…who had unknowingly become my best friend.

The only thing I could do was wait…

--

**A/N: I know it is kind of a cliffie…but it wasn't as bad as the one from last chapter, right? **

**Like I announced at the end of last chapter, we are almost done with this story. I plan to do an outtake or two once I hit that complete button. One is going to be about Alice and Jasper. Now I wanted to know if you had any ideas for one more? I would love to hear about them in a review. **

**Thank you for reading…for reviewing, favoriting, putting me on alert, etc. It means a lot to me. **


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns…I just think up the plot and play with her characters.

**A/N: **Here is the last official chapter of the story…just the epilogue next. Thank you for following along and showing it love. I truly appreciate it.

--

Ch. 24

Two days. It had been two days since I'd left the confines of the hospital and the four walls of Edward's hospital room unless the doctors asked.

After a slight argument, Charlie had allowed me to skip school on Friday because I flat out refused to leave Edward.

The first night found all of us spending the night in the waiting room. We didn't get any news on Edward's progress for over four hours.

Finally at around five in the morning, Carlisle walked out looking exhausted but more relaxed. The surgery had been a success and Edward had to have several different pins stuck in his knee in order to hold it together and heel correctly. Carlisle told us that they found no internal bleeding and no head injuries, thanks to the helmet.

I was silently thanking God that he listened to me…because had he been riding without any type of protection…well I couldn't even think that far. I refused to think that far.

This situation felt all too familiar to when I lost my mom, the only difference was that Edward's wasn't fatal and I was able to be there for him during his recovery.

Early in the afternoon on Friday, they moved him from intensive care to a private room. Carlisle arranged for several arm chairs to be placed in the room because he knew that a few of us would be staying for most of Edward's stay.

Emmett and Rosalie arrived just before the doctors gave the okay to move Edward into the room. Emmett was pretty upset because he had missed all of our phone calls. We told him that he wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway and that all that mattered was he was there now.

Now it was Valentine's Day and the doctors finally took Edward off of most of the drugs he was on except for the necessary pain killers. I sat on his right side, clutching his still hand in mine. He looked relatively peaceful behind the bruising that had started to appear on his pale skin. I knew that he was going to feel like a semi hit him once he woke up, but hopefully the medicine they planned to give him would help. His injured leg was propped at a weird angle under the sheet and we were all careful not to accidentally touch it.

I ran my other hand through his soft hair, which was wilder looking due to the lack of it being washed. His face was left remarkably untouched and the only bruising around the area was on the side of his neck. The doctors said it was from the helmet when he hit the ground.

I hadn't slept much and I knew that I didn't look that great. Esme was pacing behind me, fielding calls from concerned family members and friends. Emmett and Rose had gone back to the Cullen house to try and sleep. I wasn't sure where Jasper and Alice had run off to, but he had been a great shoulder to lean on throughout the whole ordeal.

"Sweetie…maybe you should head home and try to sleep. It may be awhile before he wakes up," Esme said softly.

"I can't Esme. The thought of him waking him up and I'm not here…" I broke off with a yawn. "I'll rest my eyes here, but I'm not leaving."

She gave me a small smile before nodding and resuming her pacing. Esme had been awake off and on just as long as I had.

Both of us turned when we heard the door open. Carlisle walked in, minus his usual work uniform.

"Hey girls. How's my boy doing?" he asked, walking over to stand on Edward's other side.

"Nothing yet. But he doesn't seem to be in any pain, thank goodness for that," Esme said.

"We have him well medicated. Esme, would you please accompany me to lunch. You haven't left the hospital and maybe we can give Bella some alone time with Edward."

Esme looked over to us before nodding her head. "Bella. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah…maybe I can talk to him a little bit."

"That's a good idea. I personally think people can hear when they are unconscious," Carlisle said. "He's very lucky to have you Bella."

I sighed. "No, I'm the lucky one."

After they left, I laid my head down on the scratchy hospital sheets and let out a strangled sigh. The silence of the room and my tired thoughts allowed me to drift into an uneasy sleep.

I felt movement that wasn't my own as I began to wake up again. I knew I must have not been asleep for long because the room was still empty of the others.

Suddenly I felt my hand move, but it wasn't me doing it. I looked down and noticed that I was still clutching Edward's hand. I watched as his thumb twitched slightly over my skin, sending goosebumps up the length of my arm.

I looked up to his face and noticed that his eyelashes began to flutter.

"Edward?" I stood from my seat, hovering over him.

His face suddenly scrunched up, his lips pulling into a tight line. I gently ran the back of my free hand across his cheek.

His eyelids opened and for the first time in days I looked into the emerald greens that I missed so much.

I broke out into a smile and felt tears running down my cheeks. "Edward…"

He looked confused for a minute, staring at me for a long moment.

"B…el…la…" he tried to say. I heard him try to clear his throat, gruff from no use.

"Shh…don't try and talk just yet. Can you understand me? Just nod your head."

He followed my directions and squeezed my hand in the process.

"Let me get a nurse…we can get you some water."

I pushed the button to signal someone before sitting back down and staring at Edward.

His eyes seemed to be taking inventory of all parts of me.

I raised his hand up to my mouth, placing small kisses on his knuckles. "I love you so much Edward. You scared all of us…thank god you're alright!"

Our moment of solitude was broken when a flurry of activity began. I called Carlisle to tell them the news and it wasn't long before they appeared along with Alice and Emmett.

Apart from greeting his family, drinking the little water they gave him and listening to the diagnosis, Edward's eyes followed me as I dodged out of people's way.

After another hour he was finally able to talk in a loud whisper. We were told that he had to take the water and food intake slowly so that he didn't become nauseated.

I sat back in the chair I had been occupying when he woke up.

"What day is it?" he asked.

"Saturday…you've been out of it for two days," I said.

"Valentines Day…" he mumbled, his face taking on a grimace.

"Yeah…"

"Do you remember anything Edward?" Emmett asked.

"Just the rain and the slick roads…one minute I was driving and the next there was nothing."

"We're so glad you're okay…don't ever do that again!" Alice said, irritation coloring her tone.

"Sorry Alice…"

We all sat around just basking in the relief that he was going to be okay. When the sun was starting to set, Edward motioned for Carlisle to lean down to him. Together they whispered in hushed voices before Carlisle nodded and smiled. He told everyone besides me to go home and they all slowly made their way out of the room, waving goodbye as they went.

I moved up by Edward's head, kissing his forehead.

"I'm so sorry Bella. You had to go through this again –"

"No Edward. Don't apologize…this was all an accident. I was just scared to death, losing you would have been the end of me. I'm not even kidding."

"I didn't tell them the complete truth about my last memories before the accident."

"What else do you remember?"

"Right before I hit that patch of ice, I was thinking about you. And even though I can't be completely positive, I think I was dreaming about you and your voice while I was out of it. All I knew was that I needed to get back to you…"

I leaned in and kissed his chapped lips. I poured all of my grief, love and relief into it…silently telling him everything I was feeling.

"I love you…" he said against my lips.

"Love you."

"Did the things stored in my bike survive?" he inquired.

"Um…I think so." I looked around and noticed the cardboard box that was currently housing the things found on the bike.

I got up to fetch it, laying it next to Edward. He tried to move his right arm but gasped in pain.

"Please don't move baby…just tell me what you need," I pleaded.

He told me to pull out two bubble-wrapped packages, telling me to open the biggest one first. I found a customized photo album of the two of us and he told me the meaning behind it.

"I was going to take you out to Lake Crescent tonight…with a picnic dinner. If the weather was good we were going to eat on the hood of the Vanquish…if not, then we would've camped out in my car. And now we won't get to do that…"

I set the album down and lowered my head until he met my eyes. "Please stop. You're awake and with me aren't you? That is the only thing I kept praying for."

He smiled and motioned for me to open the other package. It was a glass heart with jagged edges. I was surprised that it survived the crash as I ran my fingers over the rough texture.

"The reason it has uneven edges is because it is supposed to mean that our love isn't perfect," he explained. "But it is perfect for us…because nothing should be perfect or painless."

"I love it. I'm sorry I didn't get you anything…I've been a bit preoccupied."

"I have you…I'm good."

We exchanged slow kisses for the next half-hour before we were interrupted again by his parents and the hospital staff.

--

"Edward…don't be a pain," Esme scolded.

"I am _not _getting a sponge bath by some stranger. I don't give a shit if I had a few before I was conscious…I wasn't _aware _at the time," he huffed.

It had been three days since Edward had woken up and I had just arrived at the hospital after school. That was part of the deal with Charlie…he allowed me to spend all of my time at the hospital as long as I agreed to go to school each day.

Edward became a bit difficult to deal with. He was becoming restless laying in the bed around the clock; he hated the catheter and was embarrassed to even talk about it in front of me. The worst argument was the need for a sponge bath. He should have been getting them daily, but he had so far refused to cooperate with anybody. He wouldn't even let his mom do it saying 'I don't want you seeing my dick…gross.' Of course this had Esme beet red because he didn't care if his explanation was vulgar or not.

"You need to get cleaned up and you can't do it without assistance," Esme tried again.

I cleared my throat before Edward could respond. He didn't need to hurt her feelings; she was only worried about him afterall.

"Esme…can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked.

She nodded and threw her son an exasperated look before moving toward the door with me.

Once out in the hallway I became slightly nervous, not sure how she would take my suggestion. "Okay…keep an open mind about what I'm about to ask. He won't let anybody touch him besides to check his injuries or administer more medicine. Would you allow me to offer to give him a sponge bath?" I bit my lip out of habit, attempting to maintain eye contact with her.

She didn't say anything for a few moments which made me even more nervous. Obviously I would have to see him pretty much naked and as far as she knew, we hadn't done anything like _that_.

She quirked her lips to the side while giving me an appraising look. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask…"

"I've had countless trips to the hospital Esme, as you know. I've had a few experiences with receiving special types of baths. I assure you I will be gentle…please let me do this for him."

"Alright…hopefully if anybody could get through that thick skull of his, it would be you."

I smiled and turned back to the room. Esme followed silently behind me.

Edward was looking back and forth between us with a curious look on his face.

"Edward. Would you allow me to give you a bath?" I asked.

"You?"

"Yeah…we can have everyone leave the room if you're embarrassed. I know how to do them. What do you think?'

"Okay." _Well that wasn't so hard._

I had a nurse assist me in getting Edward adjusted into the right position before she quietly left the room.

I helped him pull his gown off his shoulders and bunched it up at his hips. I immediately noticed the bandages covering his rash. His chest was covered in small scratches and several more bruises could be seen on his lower abdomen.

"Oh Edward…" I breathed as I lightly ran my fingertips over his wounds. He caught my wrist in his hand and lifted it up to his mouth.

"I'm okay Bella…sure I'm banged up a bit, but nothing that won't heal. I'm not leaving you…"

I nodded and went back to the task. I cleaned each area thoroughly and as gently as possible. Yeah I had to see him naked, but it was about as unromantic as you can get. When I washed his back, similar scratches were surrounding his tattoo and lower back. I kissed the center of his cross and continued my way down.

An hour later I was finished up and he was happier. "I think I'm going to upgrade you to bather instead of just girlfriend. Hope you don't mind."

"Har, har, har…" I said sarcastically.

--

A week later he was finally released from the hospital to go home. He had to prop his injured leg several times a day and still wasn't able to really get up without any help. Pretty soon he was going to start physical therapy and I knew he couldn't wait to start walking without any assistance.

"So what is the plan for after graduation?" he asked one day after I brought homework to him. Esme and Carlisle had decided to home school him until he was able to function semi-independently.

"I got accepted to U-Dub and…I want to accept the offer." I was a bit apprehensive about mentioning it to him because I didn't know what he planned on doing.

"Okay…so then do it."

"Just like that? What about you? I think we should decide together."

"I don't mind settling in Seattle. I'm not sure what I want to do yet, so I figured I would do a few night classes at a community college and then get a job in a bar or in an auto-shop."

"So you want to do this together?" I asked with a smile.

"Of course. I'll follow you Bella…my plans are pretty flexible. And Seattle is far enough away from Forks and we would be with our friends."

So with his blessing, I mailed in my acceptance and the appropriate amount of money to hold my place.

Not long after I made my decision, Edward was given the okay to start physical therapy. And boy was he an asshole throughout the whole ordeal. The positive side was that he was able to get up on crutches and go back to school. I helped as much as I could by carrying his books. I finally got my wish with driving him to school. He grumbled most of the time, but I think he enjoyed being chauffeured around…the spoiled prince that he was.

The doctor had told Edward that he was not allowed to over do himself while he was in physical therapy and had the brace on his leg. So it basically meant _no sex_. And boy did it suck…especially since we had just crossed that line in our relationship not long before the accident.

So Edward and I decided to work around the rules set up. I found that he was in a better mood after a good release. My life was a lot easier if he was in a good mood…so of course he got oral gratification from me.

That didn't mean that I was left on the sidelines. We discovered a whole new aspect to our sexual relationship. His personal favorite was watching me get myself off…but usually he would jump in before I even climaxed.

About three weeks before graduation, I was getting ready to go pick Edward and Alice up from their house before school when there was a knock on the door.

Curiously I opened it to find Edward standing there with a huge grin…and no crutches.

"Um…what are you doing?" I saw that he was standing completely on his own and even bending his knee.

"Therapy went really good yesterday and I got the clear to walk without those stupid sticks…which also means I get to drive again. So I'm taking back my driving privileges…now come on." He motioned for me to get my bag before he stepped back down off the porch.

I locked the door and noticed the Vanquish sitting in the drive. He began walking down the path but I stopped him with a tug on his shirt-sleeve.

"So just like that? You sure you're good?" I asked, coming to a stop within an inch of him.

"Yeah. I worked extra hard to make a recovery before we graduated. You've taken such good care of me baby…how do I deserve you?" he asked, resting his hands on the small of my back.

"Just lucky I guess," I said with a giggle.

He just rolled his eyes and closed the distance between us, capturing my parted lips with his. I didn't hesitate to open my mouth fully, allowing his tongue to enter mine.

We broke apart when the horn sounded from his car. Alice.

"We should get going…" he mumbled, his eyes still on my lips.

"Once school is done…we are coming back to _your _house and I'm going to ravage you sir."

His eyes widened slightly and immediately darkened. "You bet your cute little ass that our afternoon activities will be within the confines of my bedroom."

I laughed and turned towards the car where I saw Alice shaking her head from the backseat. I slipped in and once Edward got in his hand immediately settled on my thigh. A jolt of anticipation shot through me at what I had to look forward to with him…both that afternoon and in our future.

--

**A/N: **So there it is. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to send me your outtake ideas in a review…I may pick one of them. Stay tuned for the epilogue.


	25. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **S. Meyer owns the world of Twilight…I just create a bit of chaos with it.

**A/N: **This is it. Thank you for all of your interest and for taking the time to read this. Anyways…I'll let you get on to the chapter but please read the long ass A/N at the bottom.

--

Epilogue

The hot, dry heat of the Phoenix summer beat down on us as we merged onto the highway, driving away from the hotel. My hair whipped around in its ponytail and my tank top began sticking to my back as the dry wind flew past us. Edward insisted on a convertible and thank god he did because it made the weather a bit more bearable.

My hands clutched the wheel as I looked over to Edward. His feet were propped up on the dashboard, clad in shorts and a t-shirt. That brilliant hair flying messily in the wind, his eyes shut away behind his Ray-Bands and a contented smile on his face.

I reached my right hand over and ran it over his thigh, feeling his hand grasp mine with a squeeze. With a sigh I managed to relax my shoulders and look ahead to our intended destination.

After Edward finished up with his physical therapy, life seemed to turn back to normal. His bike was pretty banged up in the accident but after repairing the damage personally with Jasper's help, the bike looked good as new. I still wasn't thrilled about him riding again, but who was I to stop him? Especially since I wanted to learn. He would resent me eventually if he did listen and I did love to ride with him on it. Esme basically forbade him from driving it until after graduation, she wanted to make sure his knee was fully healed up before he took a chance again.

As his injuries healed, I noticed that he had several scars on his knee. It was a small price to pay for his life. At least he did not have any scaring on the rest of his body.

He managed to drag me to prom despite my protests. However he quickly made up for it before we even made it to the dance.

"_Where are we going?" I asked as we drove the opposite way of the high school._

"_Making up for Valentine's Day," he said seriously, not taking his eyes off the road._

Instead of going out to eat with our friends, he decided to take me out to Lake Crescent on a surprisingly warm evening in the Pacific Northwest.

He had set a checkered blanket out on the hood of his car before lifting me effortlessly on top. Somehow he had ordered take-out from my favorite Italian restaurant in Port Angeles along with producing a bottle of sparking cider. Yes it was cheesy, but it was the most romantic thing I had ever experienced.

We both managed to graduate with descent GPA's. I was worried about Edward since he had missed so much school, but thankfully with the work he had done from home, his grades didn't suffer much.

While most people stood around crying and hugging each other because school had ended for them, I couldn't be happier. With the way the school year started, my therapy sessions, the ups and downs with Edward and then finally his accident…I was ready to move on to bigger things.

I was set to attend U-Dub in the fall. Unfortunately Charlie insisted that I had to live on campus my first year of college so Edward and Jasper were going to get an apartment together until I was able to move in with him. He managed to secure a job at a friend of Emmett's bar. He was planning to eventually get his bartending license but was content on learning the ropes. It probably helped that Carlisle and Esme bought an apartment as a graduation gift.

Alice got accepted to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA. We were all sad that she wasn't going to be near us all the time, but I was personally looking forward to the vacation opportunities.

The biggest change came with my therapy sessions. Ever since getting together with Edward, my dreams had practically stopped; only a few flare-ups remained. With that change, Dr. McPherson took me completely off my meds and knocked my several sessions a week with her down to a single session per week. I wasn't the only one that didn't have to go to therapy as much; Edward also only had to go one day a week.

Dr. McPherson suggested that I visit my mom's grave on the one year anniversary, which is what brought us to Phoenix in the middle of July.

I stopped to get a bouquet of flowers before continuing towards the cemetery. The closer we got, the more nervous I felt. I had made such progress in my recovery and I was afraid I would have a relapse. This was the first time I had been back in almost a year and the thought that I would leave the same way I did last time scared the shit out of me.

"You're going to be fine," Edward said. I was beginning to believe that he could read my mind.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know what I'm thinking or feeling at a given time?"

He was quiet for a moment, contemplating his answer. "Because I am attuned to you…I think because we feel so deeply for each other that our connection is very special."

"I think you're right."

We pulled off the main road and into Red Rock Cemetery. The place was a lot more beautiful then I remembered it and it was very peaceful. I wove through the rows of tombstones and flowers until I came upon where my mom and Phil were buried.

As soon as I stopped the engine there was nothing but silence. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to work up the nerve to get out of the car.

Edward gave me that push by placing the flowers in my lap and unlocking the doors.

"Go see your mom babe," he said quietly.

I finally moved and slipped out of the car, shutting the door behind me. I forced myself to walk the path towards the double-headed tombstone that was my destination. Finally I stopped in front of the marble stone, a sculpted double heart with Renee and Phil's names and birthdates etched into it.

I dropped to my knees and hesitantly dragged my fingertips along the names of my parents. There was an attached vase set in the center of the headstone. I took the roses out of their wrapping and placed them within the holder, arranging them to look just right.

"Hey mom…" I started, running my fingers of her name again.

"Sorry it took so long for me to visit. But I hope you were able to see what I've been up to since…since the accident." I stumbled on the last part, trying to keep myself from losing it.

"I miss you so much…everyday. It never really gets easier, but I just learn to live with it. It took me a long time to finally break through this wall that I put up after you died. Charlie insisted that I start therapy, and I did. I would…um…have nightmares almost nightly about what I saw a year ago. I hated myself because I felt it was my fault that you died…if I hadn't of called you or maybe I could have walked a ways to get reception. I hated that I didn't tell you I love you before I left that night."

I poured my heart out…everything I felt in a year. I couldn't help the tears but they felt like a release…of all the resentment, sadness, happiness that I had felt since she left me.

"I blamed myself for the longest time mom…but now I know that it wasn't. It was an accident and you were in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I know you wouldn't want me to continue to live my life by carrying the blame…I know you'd want me to be happy."

I paused as I began to think about Edward, a small smile forming.

"I went through a lot of therapy and medication to get where I am today. But the one reason I think I managed through was because of a very special someone. I don't know if you remember him…Edward. He is Alice's brother and my boyfriend, the love of my life."

Suddenly I felt hands on my shoulders and felt a body shift behind me. I turned my head to see Edward sitting down behind me, a tentative smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to sit between his legs. I leaned my head back on his shoulder, my eyes still on my mom's name.

"Mom…I want you to meet Edward. He is my savior in every meaning…I think you sent him to me."

"Mrs. Dwyer…I just want you to know that I love your daughter and I plan to spend the rest of my life making her happy. Thank you for blessing me with someone like her." He kissed my cheek before nuzzling his face in my hair.

We sat like that for what seemed like forever. I felt at peace, knowing that my mom did hear me.

Eventually the heat began to get to us and we stood to leave. I looked back at where my mom laid beneath me, a smile breaking out on my face. "I love you mom…thank you for giving me the strength to live my life. I miss you and I hope you continue to watch over us…to help us find our happiness like you did with Phil."

Edward pulled me to the car, helping me climb into the passenger seat. He slipped behind the wheel and I was more then content to allow him to lead for awhile.

As we got back on the highway to head back to the hotel, I broke the silence. "Thanks for coming with me…I know it's silly, but I truly felt like she was there with us."

"It's not silly. Do you think she would have liked me?" he asked.

I nodded. "Oh yeah. She would have kissed all over you, telling you what a handsome guy you were, feeding your ego and I would have been blushing scarlet the entire time. You have nothing to be worried about."

He laughed and shook his head. "I don't have an ego."

"Pshhh…sure you do. But you are also pretty selfless. But I'm serious…thank you for doing this with me."

"I'd do anything for you Bell. You're set free now…enjoy the life your mom gave to you. That's what she would have wanted."

I must have fallen asleep, exhausted from the emotional weight that I had felt all day. I jolted awake when I felt myself being shifted. I looked around and found that we were now back in the room and Edward had laid me down on the bed. I watched him quietly moving about the room, picking up our things and throwing them into the suitcases.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

When I didn't answer him right away he stopped his movements and came over to the side of the bed that I was laying on.

I reached my hand out to grab his before looking up at him. "I need you."

He looked at me for another moment before nodding and slipping his hand out of mine. I watched as he raised his arms and pulled his t-shirt over his head, revealing his beautiful chest to me. Next went the belt and shorts, all tossed into a pile behind him.

I sat up and pulled my tank over my head as well, tossing it with his. His fingers were on the buttons of my shorts before I could even think. I raised my ass to help him shimmy them down my legs.

No words were spoken as he climbed on to the bed and settled part of his weight on me. His bent elbows were on either side of my head while the rest of him rested lightly between my open legs.

"I will always need you," he whispered before running his nose softly against mine.

His lips left a hot trail as he moved from my jaw down to my collarbone, and then along the swell of my breasts as his hands fitted undneath me to unclasp my bra. I felt the garment fall away from me before Edward's tongue and lips replaced them. He had me withering from the sensations…the mix of his hot breath and the chill of the air conditioned room.

I couldn't manage words, only sounds. If I was even half coherent I would've been embarrassed by all the panting leaving my mouth.

I pushed his boxers down his hips, using my feet to push them the rest of the way down his body. His hands followed the same movements as mine before there were no barriers left.

I needed him…so badly. He didn't need me to utter a word because I felt his arousal push into me, barely giving me time to adjust before he pulled out and thrusted in again.

His hands grasped mine over my head, our fingers intertwined. I felt myself start to perspire as our pace increased. His tongue dragged across my chest and collarbone, tasting me.

My body suddenly flamed as I felt every inch of him on top of me. My walls clenched around him, milking him to fall over the edge with me.

Our eyes connected and an unspoken emotion flashed between us, both of us knowing that the other was ready.

He pressed me further into the mattress as his pace increased, his hips creating a delicious angle that caused me to close my eyes as I finally let into the building pressure. The only noise that came from Edward were his soft moans before he stilled above me and collapsing to the side.

I curled into him, kissing his chest where his heart beat.

He fiddled with my hair before telling me he loved me. I returned the sentiment as we settled into an easy silence and stared out the open window.

As the sun set on the Phoenix desert, I knew I was going to be okay.

With Edward by my side, he gave me the strength to smile everyday. And despite all the sorrow and change that I went through, meeting Edward truly saved me. I know that sounds melodramatic, but I didn't even want to think where I would be if he hadn't found his way to me.

And through it all, I also found myself in the process.

--

**A/N: **And that's all she wrote! I hope you enjoyed reading You Found Me as much as I loved writing it. Thank you so much for the reviews and the alerts and all the love you sent this little fic. Now I want to give you a small update on what my future plans are. My next multi-chapter story will be an expansion on my one-shot **Southern Cover **(a Jasper/Bella story). Go check it out in my profile if you may be interested in reading the story when it comes. I am starting school once again and my time will be pretty limited for several months. So I don't plan on posting the story until May and I also need a break from writing. I will be posting a few outtakes for You Found Me…so keep a look out for those. Also, I am sure I will get the urge to write something here and there before May, so please put me on Author Alert if you are interested. Once again…thank you for reading my writing. If you are interested in updates please add me to twitter or check my blog. Both links are in my profile.


	26. Outtake: Alice&Jasper

**A/N: **Hello again! Here is one of two outtakes. A lot of you expressed interest in hearing some more about Alice and Jasper. This would take place before Edward's accident but there is a lot of flashback stuff from Alice's point of view. I hope you enjoy! She was really hard to write…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Twilight _or its characters. But I do own my pictures I got with Peter Facinelli and Jackson Rathbone w/ the 100 Monkeys. :)

--

APOV

Edward wasn't the only one to sneak out at night in this house. The difference was I was much quieter and the parentals didn't suspect me like they did him.

This brings me to my current position.

The lights are all off in my bedroom, the television on but muted. If anyone were to peak in at that moment I would look like I am lounging before bed, especially with the covers pulled up and covering my clothes.

I listened for Edward's 'quiet' footsteps to pass my door before I jumped up and ran to the window. His dark shadow darts across the yard before slipping into Bella's.

My mind wanders to those two as I gather my purse and jacket before making my way to the door.

From an outsiders perspective it felt like watching a cat and mouse game for the longest time. The attraction between the two was palpable and I almost couldn't contain myself from staying out of it. Edward had been so unhappy for the longest time and Bella seemed to make him a different person. She had her own set of problems, but she always managed to light up when he was around.

I opened the door and peeked out into the dark hallway. There wasn't a sound so I figured it was safe to go. I stooped down and picked up my black ballet flats that were sitting by the side of my door.

I slipped down the stairs barefoot, knowing that it was quieter that way. That is where Edward did it all wrong…walking around in his biker boots. _Idiot._

I was at the bottom of the stairs when I heard quiet moaning come from above me. I froze, afraid that I was about to be caught. However I immediately wanted to vomit when I heard a headboard hit the wall.

_Gross…Esme and Carlisle were getting it on._

I moved quickly to the back door, turning off the alarm before I opened it. I shut the door behind me, keeping my parents _love_ shut inside.

By the time I made it to the bottom of the drive way I had managed to slip my shoes and jacket on. I immediately noticed the black car parked three houses down and on the opposite side of the street from the Swan residence.

Looking at it, it could have been another car parked on the street.

I opened up the passenger side door and slipped into the cool leather seat. A hand gripped my neck firmly, drawing me across the center console.

"Took you long enough," came a gruff voice before lips descended on my own.

I indulged him for a minute before pushing away from him with my hands.

"I got here as fast I could Jazzy. Edward snuck over to Bella's again…had to wait until he left."

He nodded and worldlessly started up the car before pulling back out onto the road and away from my house.

Jasper had been driving down to Forks once every two weeks since Bella's birthday party. That is where it all began…well, kind of. Although he and Edward had been friends for years, I hadn't taken notice until my junior year. I knew about his reputation and I often gave him and Edward jabs about it. I'm not really the jealous type, which I guess is why I didn't take his sexcapades to heart.

It wasn't until Bella arrived in town that Jasper seemed to change. With that change, our interactions did as well. For the first time he actually saw me and not just his best friends sister. But of course it happened as he was packing up and leaving.

We didn't talk much before he left. Jasper had managed to get my cell number from me, promising to keep in touch. The night he left I felt this huge urge to not let him go. I'd never felt like that before for a guy…sure I dated here and there, but nothing that I couldn't live without. I knew we had an audience, so I settled with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He gave me his signature smile before turning and leaving for his next big adventure. I didn't have any pre-convieved notions that he would become some church boy while living in Seattle…he was free from the small town; new location, new people.

Surprisingly I got a text message from him a few days after he left. Those soon turned into phone calls where we got to know each other. Just Jasper and Alice – not Edward's best friend and Edward's sister.

Bella's birthday party was the first time I had seen him since things shifted. We snuck off a few times and he kissed me under the twinkling lights in the backyard.

Usually I am pretty observant about the people in my life. Bella would even go as far as say that I butt in where I don't belong. I would like to take full credit of her first date with Edward; if I hadn't suggested to Carlisle about the baseball game then the date could have been a disaster. Those two owed me.

Anyways…that night Jasper spent the night with me. We didn't have sex like everything seems to think we did, trust me – I tried.

After that we kept whatever was going on with us very low key. I don't think Edward even figured anything out until Halloween.

After the Halloween party Bella had cried herself to sleep over my stupid brother, I called Jazz to tell him what I thought was going on. He ended up coming over and we sat out in his car for awhile. I knew that Kate had tried to shove her claws into Edward, but I also knew Bella read too much into it.

Jasper eventually got really quiet and wouldn't meet my eyes. After questioning him repeatedly he broke down and told me about his eventful beginnings with Bella. The gas station, the bar, the motorcycle ride, the kiss…everything. His eyes watched me like a hawk, afraid that I would break down and yell at him. But how could I be mad when we didn't have anything going on at the time? And he hadn't touched her since.

I had leaned over and kissed him, showing him that he had nothing to worry about. That night he asked me to be his girlfriend.

Eventually I let it slip to Bella…trust me, keeping quiet that long just about killed me.

The jolt of the car coming to a stop brought me back to the present. I stared ahead and noticed that we were now stopped in front of the Hale mansion.

"Your parents are out of town again?" I inquired.

He nodded before exhaling heavily. "A two week trip to Spain this time."

I knew that Jasper was deeply affected by his parents' lack of attention, probably the reason for his behavior in the past.

I reached over and grasped his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Let's go take advantage while we can then."

Jasper guided me through the large oak front doors and into the overly done entry way. There was a huge chandelier that took up most of the open ceiling. If anyone was into interior design it was me, but this was horrible.

We eventually made it up to his childhood bedroom, which I had only been in twice before. The walls were filled with football and baseball posters, pop culture memorabilia, etc. I was actually surprised the first time I had seen it.

Jasper and I were silent as he strode over to me, sliding my jacket off my shoulders. We slowly undressed each other until we were lying, facing each other, on his bed.

I knew that I loved him; I just hadn't spoken the words yet. He was it for me and that is why I felt okay with waiting to tell him. People always reference me as being high strung, but when I'm with Jasper – he has a calming nature about him that chills me out.

He leaned over and began planting open mouthed kisses along the length of my jaw before settling on my lips.

We made love slowly that night, rediscovering each other after our small separation. Each touch said _I love you_ before we eventually fell asleep.

--

**A/N: **Alright, there you go loves. It didn't quite turn out how I thought it would, but I figured some of you would appreciate a side story on how these two began. I will tell you, I prefer writing Jasper any day to Alice…I just couldn't get into her head I guess. There is one more outtake in store before I put this story completely to rest. It will be a Bella/Edward one set in the future. I plan to slip in a few of your ideas…so watch out for that. For updates or if your just bored and want to come hang out, follow me on twitter. Link in my profile. And last but most definitely not least, thank you for all the reviews and alerts!! I'm still getting e-mails about this story even though it's been done for almost a month. You guys rock!


	27. Outtake: Edward&Bella

**Disclaimer: **S. Meyer owns the characters and _Twilight_. I thought up the plotline. Please no stealing.

**A/N: **Pictures for this outtake can be found on my blog.

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BPOV

"Do you trust me?" I felt the whisper of his breath on my neck as the setting sun was suddenly blocked by a satiny material over my eyes.

"You know I do," I said in a whisper. I felt him smile against my throat before he placed a feather light kiss there.

"I want you to lean on me because we are going to walk a ways. I have a surprise for you."

Edward's arm wrapped tightly around my waist as my own wrapped around his. We stepped out into the cooling October evening, only feeling the last rays of the suns heat across my skin.

The gravel crunched below our feet as Edward led us to the unknown destination.

Edward and I were getting ready to celebrate our sixth anniversary. We'd bought a home on the outskirts of Seattle just after our fifth year together. Both of us had grown tired of the constant bustle of downtown life and now enjoyed the beautiful trees that surrounded our property.

I'd graduated two years prior and joined a prominent interior design firm in Seattle. I had Esme to thank for that since she was good friends with my boss, Siobhan.

Edward decided against opening his own bar. Just as my freshmen year was coming to an end, he approached me with the desire to go to culinary school. I didn't know he had a flair for cooking until our first summer together when he started playing around in the kitchen with Esme.

He was now in training to become the head chief of a swanky downtown eatery. The current chief had given his notice of resignation and promised to train Edward before he left.

The gang was still together. Emmett and Rosalie just celebrated their one year wedding anniversary and currently resided in Tacoma. Emmett coaches football and baseball at a high school while Rosalie works with buying and selling vintage cars. Alice and Jasper moved to San Francisco after Alice finished up with school. She is working on opening her own boutique after being a personal shopper for a few years. Jasper got really serious about school and ended up going to graduate school; he currently attends Berkeley.

It's hard for us to see each other as often as before for obvious reasons. Luckily Em and Rose are within a thirty minute drive from our house so we usually try and get together on the weekends. Alice and Jas make it up every few months while we've been down to California a few times a year since they moved their permanently. At least it's an excuse for a vacation.

Things with Edward aren't always smooth. We are both too stubborn for our own good and he has OCD tendencies that bug the hell out of me. We both still attend therapy after all these years, mostly just to have an outside source to vent. The therapy meetings are only once a month and we see completely different doctors.

Buying a house together had been a big step for us. After living in the apartment owned by Carlisle and Esme through college we eventually found it necessary to move on to something bigger. He actually brought it up to me, signifying in a way that he was ready for the next step.

Well that was over a year ago. And I'm starting to doubt that we will ever move to the next step. Marriage.

The topic has come up more steadily over the years but he has made no move to act on it.

"Okay. Stop right here," Edward's voice breaks me out of my musings.

Because I have zoned out, I completely lost any sense of direction and how far we walked.

"What's going on Edward?"

"Patience my love." I heard the crunch of his shoes as he circled around me, at least that is what it sounded like. "We've been together a long time, dealing with a lot of shit for such a young couple. Wouldn't you agree?"

I swallowed before nodding mutely.

"I remember the first time I had you on the back of my bike. Your arms wrapped so tightly around me, your body heat lighting a flame within me. I knew at that moment that you were someone different, despite my long standing attraction to you. For the first time you were real, something tangible that I could touch."

I felt the lightest touch on my cheek before his full hand cupped the side of my face.

"Edward?" I asked, tentatively reaching out in front of me. My hand eventually found the neckline of his shirt though I'm sure he intended for me to feel him.

"We've talked about you eventually learning how to ride and I'm sorry it has taken so long. I'm just nervous to let you get on one yourself and truth me told…I'm a bit selfish. I relish our rides together."

He paused to take a deep breath.

"Well now it's time. I know you've had your eye on a certain model…you've been dropping hints for months…"

With that my line of sight was perfectly clear. I blinked rapidly a few times to adjust to the false lighting of the garage. Both of our cars were in their rightful places as was the three motorcycles that Edward called his own. There was one different though. Sitting off to the right side of his collection was…

"No fucking way! That is not a V-Star 950!" I squealed, running over to the huge piece of machinery.

"It is," he said from behind me.

"You got the color blue right and everything," I whispered as I traced my fingers over the paint reverently.

He wrapped his arms around my waist before settling his chin on my shoulder. "Do you like it baby?"

I twisted around in his arms, placing my hands around his neck. "You did great."

I brought my lips to his, slowly allowing my teeth to nibble on his bottom lip.

"I want to take you for a ride on it," he mumbled against my mouth.

"You won't let me drive?" I mock pouted.

His finger nudged my lip before he smiled. "In time…but obviously you aren't up to speed on how to control something like this just yet. So I was hoping that you'd be content letting me drive it tonight…I wanted to take you somewhere."

I quickly agreed before we ran back into the house to grab our jackets before heading back out to the garage and settling on the bike with our helmets.

Edward started up the motorcycle, which rumbled and purred underneath us. Chills immediately went down my spine in anticipation. Something was happening…I could feel it in my bones.

--

I tried to get Edward's attention, to question exactly where we were going. The only response I was able to get out of him was a shake of the head and a shrug.

Finally after what felt like hours, which it probably was, Edward slowed down on a familiar stretch of highway. We had been traveling towards Forks and I thought for a second he was taking us on a random trip to see family.

So imagine my surprise when we take the turn-off to Lake Crescent.

We followed the road until we pulled off to the familiar look-out where we came during prom and several times over the years.

Edward parked and turned off the bike, the forests' silence engulfing us. The only light came from the moons unobstructed perch in the sky.

I hopped off the bike before pulling of the helmet and shaking out my hair. Edward quickly followed and set both helmets on either handlebar.

He silently took my hand and led me over to the weathered bench overlooking the lake.

"What are we doing here babe?" I asked.

He cleared his throat nervously, sweeping his eyes everywhere but at me. He didn't sit down with me, instead he was fidgeting.

My nerves automatically heightened as I took in his nervous ticks. Edward was rarely anything but calm and reserved. There were only a few times in our relationship where I saw him get this worked up.

I lifted my hand to his cheek, forcing him to look at me. "What's wrong?"

He cleared his throat again. "Nothing. Why would something be wrong? I'm with my beautiful girlfriend in a special place."

I nodded reluctantly, figuring he would elaborate if he calmed the hell down.

I turned slightly to look at the lake, our prom night replaying in my head. It reminded me of tonight, except it was a little warmer. Edward had been nervous then too, but still the perfect gentlemen –

"The thing is Bella…I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore." His quiet voice broke the silence.

I whipped around, shock registering on my face. "What do you _mean _you don't want me to be your girlfriend? Are you breaking up with me?"

He sighed before shaking his head silently. "Fuck…this isn't coming out right. Why can't I say it?"

I didn't answer, trying to hold on to that happy feeling I got when I first saw my bike.

Suddenly Edward slouched and dropped to a knee.

"Edward…what are you –"

He interrupted me by taking my hands within his own. Finally he looked up at me; his eyes were alight with nerves and the ever present love that stared back at me everyday.

"What I was _trying _to say was that I'm ready to move things along. You've been so patient with me…in everything that we've been through over the years. You're the love of my life, but you know this…" he paused, smiling to himself.

"I've loved you since I've met you…and admired even longer then that. You have saved me in so many ways and I cannot express to you how much that means to me. The only thing that I can do is commit myself to you in every way possible. Will you allow me to do that Bella? Will you be my wife?" His eyes glimmered with unshed tears, his crooked smile making an appearance.

I was momentarily speechless. Even though I had been hoping for this since we bought our own house…the moment seemed almost dreamlike.

"Yes," I whispered.

He blinked several times, registering what I just said. I felt cool metal slide against my skin. The ring was beautiful…slightly antiqued but not over excessive. He knew what I would have picked it out for myself.

I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into me. I spread kisses along his jaw and neck before meeting his lips.

"I love you," I mumbled.

"I love you too Isabella Swan."

We cuddled together for a bit enjoying the newness of our engagement. Eventually we disentangled but only so that I could reach up and press my lips to his. He let out a quiet chuckle, opening his mouth to mine.

"Thank you," he whispered before kissing me again.

I pulled away, biting into my bottom lip. It was my first instinct to quell the excited bubble that was threatening to burst out.

Edward's eyes instantly zeroed in on the movement. I watched as the green of his irises instantly went darker, a tell-tell sign that he was turned on.

His hands ghosted down my ribcage before taking purchase on my hips. He held my gaze as he pushed me backwards into the seat of the bike.

"This may sound incredibly fucking corny…but I want to take you on a ride…and not in the regular sense," he said. His eyes raked down the length of me before I saw the tip of his tongue peek out of his mouth.

I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips. "C'mon hubby…let's christen this bad boy."

The wicked grin that overtook his features meant that he had every intention of taking me up on my offer.

--

**A/N: **Here is the end…for real this time. I hope you enjoyed the last little peek into Edward & Bella's lives. This was much easier to write then the Alice POV. I was going to insert a lemon here…but it just didn't feel right with the scene. Sorry if you're disappointed about that. Keep me on Author Alert because you _never _know when I will post something. I hope you all have your New Moon DVD's and have already started wearing them out…I know I have.


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